On June 15, 2026, Chinese media outlet China Newsweek reported that Nissan Motor will open its UK factory production lines for Chinese brands and undertake contract manufacturing of finished vehicles. The article stated that Nissan has signed a non-legally binding agreement with Chery International UK, the British subsidiary of Chery Automobile, to positively consider contract manufacturing finished vehicles for Chery on the first production line of its Sunderland plant in the UK starting in April 2027. It also reported that this marks the first time a major Japanese automaker will undertake contract manufacturing for a Chinese brand in a major European market. Furthermore, it assessed that the background to this partnership lies in the current predicament of traditional foreign-owned automakers facing overcapacity and stagnation, coupled with the rise of the Chinese automotive industry. The article introduced export data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on June 10, stating that China's automobile exports in May this year reached 930,000 units, a 68.7% increase year-on-year, marking two consecutive months where monthly exports exceeded 900,000 units. Cumulative exports from January to May reached 4,059,000 units, a 63% increase year-on-year. It also mentioned that new energy vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs), accounted for over 45% of exported automobiles, totaling 1,833,000 units, becoming a pillar of growth in the automotive industry's overseas expansion. The article reported that the traditional structure of 'Western technology, Eastern market,' which has long prevailed in the global automotive industry, has already begun to waver, and a completely new cooperation model of 'Eastern technology, Western production capacity' is becoming a new trend for the global automotive industry to transition to the next stage. This news garnered attention on the Chinese internet, including appearing in the trending word rankings of Chinese SNS Weibo. Opinions among Chinese netizens were largely divided into those who positively viewed this partnership as a symbol of the rise of the Chinese automotive industry, and those who expressed concerns about technology leakage. Among the former, voices celebrating the leap forward of Chinese cars were frequent, such as 'We used to get technology in exchange for markets, but now it's our turn to get markets with technology,' 'It's the rise and fall of fortunes,' and 'Chery is amazing.' Comments mocking Japan's position, like 'They've brought out the old Kentoshi (Japanese envoys to Tang China) trick again,' were also seen. On the other hand, negative voices frequently expressed concerns such as 'Technology will be stolen by Japan,' 'Don't teach Japan China's new energy technology,' and 'Absolutely protect our technology.' Some extreme opinions called for a boycott of Japanese products or opposed the move, claiming that Japanese factories would ultimately be converted into military factories. Additionally, there were concerns regarding quality, with some asking, 'Will Japanese factories cut corners?' (Edited and translated by Kawashiri)