Market research firm IDC China's managing director Kitty Fok noted that while five years ago China was primarily a sales market, it is now a source of capabilities in certain sectors. Examples include Apple tapping Alibaba and Baidu for AI in China, Ford partnering with CATL for battery technology, Volkswagen teaming up with Xpeng for smart EVs, and Stellantis expanding its partnership with Leapmotor for EV production. Analysts attribute this shift to China's scale, supply-chain depth, and speed of innovation, with some adoptions driven by performance and compliance rather than just cost.