China’s Auto and AI Push Faces New US Tariffs, Blacklists, and Strategic Hurdles

BYD Leads the Charge as Chinese Automakers Gain Global Traction

BYD reportedly projects global sales to reach 5.5 million in 2025, with plans for mass-market autonomous driving overseas by 2026-2027. BYD’s global expansion underscores China’s inroads into the global market. In 2024, BYD reportedly became the fourth largest automaker, surpassing Japan’s auto giants Honda, Nissan, and Suzuki.

Tech Tensions Rise: US Blacklists Over 50 Chinese Firms

On the same day, the US Bureau of Industry and Security added over 50 Chinese firms to the Entity List to curb China’s progress in AI and advanced computing. China’s foreign ministry reportedly condemned the move, urging the US administration to ‘stop generalizing national security.”

Despite this, China’s tech development will likely remain resilient. CN Wire reported:

“China Mobile and Alibaba signing a strategic cooperation agreement in Beijing, focusing on AI data centers, cloud computing, and AI-related services.”

Markets Shrug Off Tariffs as China’s Auto and Tech Stocks Rally

Optimism surrounding China’s auto and tech advancements remains upbeat. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.88% on Thursday, March 27, pushing its year-to-date (YTD) gains to 18%.

Mainland China’s CSI 300 and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.45% and 0.35% on Thursday morning, driving the Indexes into positive territory for 2025.

Notably, tech giants Baidu (09888.HK) and Alibaba (09988.HK) advanced 3.27% and 1.93% in Thursday’s morning session. Automakers BYD (0211.HK) rose 2.51% (YTD: +53%), while Li Auto (02015.HK) advanced 4.48% (YTD: +14%).

Wall Street Lags While China Tech and Auto Shares Outperform

In contrast, the Nasdaq Composite is down 7.31% YTD. Tesla (TSLA) shares have dropped 32.6% YTD, and Nvidia (NVDA) is down 15.29%, underscoring China’s growing competitiveness in AI and EV sectors.