Germany and Canada’s recent policy choices are not merely tactical responses to domestic industrial pressures. They reflect a sober recognition of a rapidly evolving global automotive order. With the “green light” now on, the rules of the game are quietly being rewritten.

As 2025 draws to a close, China’s automotive industry stands at a pivotal moment, having undergone one of the most profound transformations in its history. Over the past year, rules were redefined, market structures reshaped, technologies pushed closer to mass adoption, and Chinese carmakers accelerated their expansion overseas. Alongside landmark breakthroughs came growing pains and painful adjustments. For many companies, 2025 resembled a coming-of-age test — one that challenged not only business survival, but the direction of the entire industry. Here are ten defining events that helped shape China’s auto market in 2025 — offering not just a review of the year gone by, but clues to what lies ahead.