Automechanika Shanghai 2025 and What Comes After ‘China for China’:

China - has it really “completed everything”?
Throughout a week at Automechanika Shanghai 2025, walking through countless booths and crowds, I kept turning this question over in my mind. Now that the phrase “China for China” has hardened into a fixed narrative, Shanghai seemed almost to whisper a different sentence: the supply chain is complete, and yet still not complete. That is the story this show is trying to tell - and perhaps, its wish as well.

By | Sang Min Han _ han@autoelectronics.co.kr
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For several years now, consulting reports and industry analyses have been repeating one line:
China has completed a self-sustaining supply chain - from components and materials to assembly and finished vehicles - all within its own borders.
That’s how the phrase “China for China” took shape: a strategy of building a closed loop, from design to mass production, inside China for the Chinese market. The story is half true and half false. As players in Europe, the US, and the rest of Asia increasingly feel the pressure of China’s speed, price competitiveness, geopolitical risks, and regulatory headwinds, this sentence has been etched into their minds even more deeply - often with a hint of resignation: “China already has everything.”

And yet, Michael Johannes of Messe Frankfurt drops a single remark that twists this “brainwashing” ever so slightly.
“To be honest, I also vaguely assumed that China had fully taken control of the supply chain and that everything was under tight command. But what we heard at this year’s CEO Summit was different. Chinese companies, too, are now thinking more seriously than ever about supply chain resilience.”

In other words, yes, China does have a supply chain that looks “complete.” But that very supply chain now faces the same question as everyone else in the face of new waves - electrification, software, geopolitics, and regulation:
Can it truly endure?
This is why Automechanika Shanghai 2025 was more than just “the world’s largest aftermarket exhibition.” It became a place to think about how a seemingly complete supply chain will be reconfigured once again. The answer does not lie in the simple dichotomy of localisation vs globalisation, but in the uncomfortable dilemma of having to hold on to both at the same time in a period of transition.






 

Let’s start with the numbers. Not as a victory lap of scale, but as indicators of density and composition.
Automechanika Shanghai 2025 welcomed 253,691 visitors from 190 countries and regions, a 14% increase from the previous edition. Exhibitors also reached a record: 7,465 companies from 44 countries and regions, showcasing their latest products, services, and technologies.
This show is no longer just “a window into the Chinese domestic market.” It is closer to a giant map where the global supply chain’s reconfiguration is laid open - all condensed into a single Asian city called Shanghai.
The visitor profile also evenly spans the full breadth of the automotive supply chain. In particular, the share of Tier 1 suppliers and OE partners has grown. Technology, R&D, and procurement now intermingle in one physical space, making the collaboration ecosystem noticeably denser than before.

Fiona Chiew, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, sums it up this way:
“The expanded exhibition scale and increased number of exhibitors this year clearly reflect the strengths of China’s automotive industry and the effectiveness of Automechanika Shanghai as a global business platform. In particular, the 94 fringe events and over 450 speakers ensured discussions that stayed aligned with industry trends while maintaining an international perspective, helping to promote collaboration and innovation across the global supply chain and enabling more efficient global networks.”

The numbers themselves are impressive. But what easily gets buried under those numbers is something else: the quality and combination of the players who have gathered there.
Chinese NEV makers, Tier 1 suppliers from Europe, Japan, and Korea, strong local niche players, new semiconductor, software and robotics startups - and above all, OEMs returning to the very centre of the exhibition floor.
Once you understand this mix, you start to see the rough outlines of the lens through which we will need to look at this place - and at the global automotive industry - over the next decade.


 
The sense that this year’s show has “caught up with where the industry is headed” hits you the moment you step into Halls 5 and 6.
The New Energy & Connectivity and Tyre & Wheel sectors each recorded around 30% growth, while the Parts & Components sector expanded its exhibition area by 10%.
Alongside these, Electrics & Electronics, Accessories, Customising, Repair & Diagnostics / Body & Paint, Tyres & Wheels, and Digital Solutions / Services filled in the rest, packing the entire supply chain into the halls. Much like Shanghai’s roads, where green NEV license plates now make up nearly half of what you see, around 40% of all exhibitors showcased NEV-related products.

Fiona emphasises this point:
“The key highlights this year are clearly Halls 5.1 and 6.1, the New Energy Vehicles (NEV) and Connectivity zones. These two sectors have grown by about 30% year-on-year. Many brands joined us for the first time or returned with much larger stands. Within these zones, you can find highly compelling technologies across NEV components and connected car solutions.”

In the New Energy & Connectivity area, about 30 new companies made their debut, including ATTC, C*Core, CalmCar, EVPT, Hella Bhap, HICI, HighStar Na+, KYLIN SOFT, Mycar, Quectel, Reavis, Siemens Xcelerator, Stardusts Robot, TIANNENG, Trinova, VERTAXI, Yura, and more. They were joined by returning exhibitors such as BAOLONG, Carlinx Tech, Deco, Dehong, EVEN, FARET, Hansong, Raytron, Rsemi, Sanhua Automotive, SemiDrive, Tuopu, YINLUN, Youkong Zhixing, and others. Together, their technology spectrum stretched across automotive semiconductors, ADAS systems, intelligent chassis, powertrain controllers, intelligent robots, and even low-altitude aerial mobility (AAM).
In the Innovation4Mobility area, Chinese startups building IVC (Intelligent & Connected Vehicle) platforms and NEV platforms took centre stage.
Regional pavilions from Changzhou, Hubei, Longquan, and Tianjin showcased their NEV component capabilities and supply chain manufacturing strength, underscoring that “Chinese local” is no longer shorthand for low-cost assembly but is rapidly turning into a production base for a new electric and software-defined supply chain.


 

 
According to Johannes, one of the most striking changes at this year’s Automechanika Shanghai was the return of OEMs to the heart of the show floor.
Major brands such as Chery Holding, GAC Aion, Li Auto, Qingling Motors, and Tesla all made strong appearances. And behind them, like shadows, came their supply chain affiliates: CZAG, DDAC, Dongfeng Wheel, FAW Foundry & Forging, FAWAY, FAWER, HPT, Qingshan Industry, SAIC, Stellantis, WeiChai’s TSINTEL Technology, Wuling Industry, Yuchai Parts, and many others.
Together they showcased a diverse range of technologies and products that span ICE vehicles and NEVs, presenting an integrated industrial capability that links R&D, manufacturing, sales and aftersales service.

“The reason we are bringing motorsports, classic cars and emotional elements into the show is not just for fun,” Johannes explains. “One of the biggest challenges OEMs will face going forward is the aftermarket. If they lose the connection to the aftermarket, they also loosen their connection with the customer.”

Stand at almost any point inside Automechanika Shanghai 2025 and you can see, in a single line of sight, complete vehicles, components, services, software, remanufacturing and the aftermarket. Exaggerating only slightly, this single visual experience is both a pressure and an opportunity for OEMs.


 
This year’s exhibitor lineup also included a dense cluster of global names: ABT, Aisin, Astemo, Autel, AUTOBACS, Bilstein, BOP, BorgWarner, Bosch, Bright, Continental, Dali, EAE, Gold, Henkel, Horizon, Jingwei Hirain, Launch, Lopal, MAHLE, MP Concepts, New SORL, SDS, Sensata, Shedrive, TOYOTA BOSHOKU (CHINA), VIE, Weifu, Winda BOTO, YAKIMA, ZF, Zhongding Group Perfusion, and more.
Their portfolios stretched across engines, electrification, chassis, electronics, diagnostics, lubricants, braking, sealing and beyond. If you had to put it into one line, it would be this:
“The full spectrum of the traditional aftermarket, now overlaid with NEV.”
Across the entire exhibition, around 40% of exhibitors brought NEV-related products. At least in China, NEVs are no longer a separate, special “segment.” They are moving in lockstep with the aftermarket from the outset.


 
Unfold one more layer of the “map” of Automechanika Shanghai and what stands out are the national and regional pavilions, along with the buyer delegations. This is not lip service - they all came with serious scale.
Korea alone seemed to field around 50 or more companies.
A total of 15 country and region pavilions from Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkiye, and others occupied the halls, expanding their footprint by roughly 20% compared with the previous edition.
On the buyer side, 261 buyer delegations from 50 countries and regions, totalling around 24,000 people, attended. For about ten of these regions - including Argentina, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK - it was their first time sending a delegation to the show.

All of this converges into one simple fact:
China today is both “China for China” and “China for the World.”
Chinese local players are moving upward, towards the world. Overseas players are moving downward, towards China and the broader East Asian region. The actual contact point of these two-way flows was the very corridor that these national pavilions and buyer delegations carved into the show floor.


 
Automechanika Shanghai 2025 effectively opened not on Day 1 of the show, but the day before - with the “International Automotive Industry Conference 2025 - CEO Summit.”
From there, more than 94 fringe events unfolded. Over 450 speakers took the stage to share perspectives on how industrial chains, integration and collaboration, and policies and regulations are reshaping the automotive landscape.
The CEO Summit brought together global industry leaders to discuss medium- to long-term roadmaps and risks in the automotive sector. The Technical Seminar Series consisted of seven technical conferences on topics such as NEV thermal management, ADAS, and intelligent chassis technologies. 
The Talent Development Series- Elite Pathway Programme aimed to show younger generations “how to enter this industry and what to expect,” while the Automotive Supply-Demand Matching Series was designed to directly address resource linkage between OEMs and suppliers, as well as skills gaps and talent shortages.
Innovation4Mobility, Green Repair Area, and Customising x Tech provided on-site demos, covering soon-to-be-commercialised startup technologies, sustainable repair practices, and tuning/lifestyle content.

Johannes summarises the overarching trend like this:
“The automotive industry is, by nature, a global industry. The transformation we are going through now is far too big and complex for any single company to handle alone. Collaboration and alignment are therefore absolutely essential. Localisation is the right direction - each country’s regulations, systems and cultures are clearly different. At the same time, innovation is impossible without cooperation between companies.”

At this point, the phrase “completed supply chain” circles back as a question:
“Was that supply chain designed alone - or designed together?”


 

 
There is another interesting layer.
Even when Johannes speaks about ostensibly dry topics like supply chains, regulation, and transformation, he keeps returning to one word: emotion.
“Frankly, we haven’t put ‘emotion’ front and center in our messaging. But the automotive industry is not just about tightening bolts and working on engines. In the actual exhibition experience and in people’s reactions, emotion, passion and excitement are clearly there.”

The “Ambition” programme in Frankfurt is symbolic of this approach. Within the show, Messe Frankfurt has carved out a dedicated space for the younger generation - a platform where music, parties, tuned cars, rappers, and tire-changing competitions all come together. Shanghai, too, was infused with a similar air.
The Customising x Tech area was packed with young visitors excited by tuned and customised vehicles and car culture. WorldSkills medalists were invited to Shanghai so they could experience the Chinese business environment firsthand.

“Next year, if possible, I would love to kick things off with a large-scale drift show. Do you remember the big performance we did last time, with smoke everywhere and tire marks all over the ground?”

Just because it’s a B2B exhibition doesn’t mean it doesn’t need a festival layer. In fact, in times like these - when the industry is undergoing structural transformation - the emotional stage where people meet people, and brands meet new generations, may be more important than ever.


 
Messe Frankfurt is expanding the Automechanika brand into new emerging markets.
Johannes describes this as a “triangle structure.”

One axis is the Southeast Asia-China line: Shanghai - Kuala Lumpur - Jakarta.
The other is the Central Asia-Eurasia line: Istanbul - Almaty (Kazakhstan) - Baku (Azerbaijan).
On top of that, yet another Automechanika event is planned in Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2027.
These regions share common traits: electrification, logistics, commercial vehicles, the aftermarket, motorcycles, and batteries are all just beginning to scale up - bursting with the energy of emerging markets.
In September 2025, Automechanika will finally land in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Fiona says with a laugh:
“I finally made a big decision: let’s launch Automechanika in a city I’ve never even been to - Jakarta! There are so many cars, so many people, and the traffic is just… incredibly congested. I once tried to go to a restaurant 15 minutes away and ended up circling around for 40 minutes. But I actually think that traffic congestion is another way of expressing the size and growth potential of this market.”

Indonesia is the largest automotive market in Southeast Asia, and motorcycles outnumber cars by roughly ten to one. The government is offering various incentives to attract NEV, parts, and assembly plants, while multiple Chinese OEMs and suppliers are already investing.
That is why the Jakarta edition of Automechanika is being planned from the outset as a “Jakarta-style Automechanika” - combining passenger cars, motorcycles, parts, repair & maintenance, customising, and even drift shows into one.  
In September 2026, a completely re-designed Automechanika concept will be unveiled in Frankfurt.
Introducing this plan, Johannes sounds almost giddy:
“The exhibition industry keeps evolving. Our concept has to evolve with it. Until now, our strategic pillars have been innovation, sustainability and transformation. To that, we are going to add education and talent. We will bring classic cars and motorsports into the show and sign a global agreement with the FIA to strengthen the emotional experience on the track. Engine sounds, smells, the feel of oil - all of these elements will inject more emotion into the exhibition.”

Frankfurt will also significantly ramp up the Hi-Tech Mobility dimension.
Technology companies now want to be part of the automotive industry. Players like Siemens Xcelerator - software, EDA, cloud and data services - as well as semiconductor, connectivity and service providers, will be brought together through Innovation4Mobility and High-Tech Mobility as a single, integrated face of the new “automotive + tech convergence” market.


 
Johannes leaves us with an uncomfortable reflection:
“There have been many mistakes in the past. The biggest one was not asking the customer. We never really asked what the customer wanted. We just watched politicians or regulators and set our direction accordingly. Especially in Europe, policymakers told automakers ‘this is what you must do’ - and years later we look back and ask, ‘Why are customers not buying these cars?’”

The debate over localisation vs globalisation ultimately comes back to this three-way relationship between the customer, the OEM and the entire supply chain.
It is about local strategies rooted in each country’s regulations, systems and culture - and about global cooperation that shares both the risks and opportunities of transformation. Automechanika Shanghai 2025 tried to show us an industrial landscape in transition, where both of these must be carried at the same time.
In one sense, China’s supply chain is already complete.
But that “completion” is not a declaration that “nothing more needs to be done.”
It is closer to a starting line that says:
“From here on, we have to redesign everything - for real.”
And at the centre of that redesign, OEMs still have to stand.
They must read customer and market expectations correctly and work together with the supply chain, tech companies and local partners to find answers.
Seen this way, the massive crowds and towering numbers we saw in Shanghai may not just be a set of records.
They may be the prologue to the next ten years.


 

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AEM(오토모티브일렉트로닉스매거진)

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