Chairman of Changan Automobile Discusses Honda-Nissan Merger: Chinese Brands Shift from Technology Import to Export and Shared Joint Development, Gradually Entering Global Markets
On December 29, at the Changan Automobile Partners Conference, Chairman Zhu Huarong spoke about the cooperation trends among global automakers.
He noted that cooperation among traditional car manufacturers is deepening, such as Honda and Nissan coming together due to market competition.
Zhu Huarong also stated that in the past, the relationship between Chinese brands and foreign brands was mainly about foreign brands inputting technology and products, but in the future, these brands will shift from technology import to technology export and shared joint development, gradually entering the global market.
Honda and Nissan announced on the 23rd of this month that they have fully initiated negotiations, planning to sign a merger contract in June 2025 and establish a holding company incorporating both parties and go public in August 2026. If the merger is realized, then the sales will exceed 30 trillion yen (approximately 139 billion USD), becoming the third-largest global automaker group in terms of sales.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will decide around the end of January 2025 whether to join the negotiations. The merger framework agreed upon by Honda and Nissan will be an important judgment material.
At the joint press conference on the 23rd of this month, Nissan's President, Makoto Uchida, emphasized the spirit of equality, saying: "It's not a hierarchical relationship, but a partnership in exploring the future together." However, regarding the holding company, the policy presented is that Honda will occupy more than half of the board seats and appoint the president.
