Dr. Yuan Jia Zheng (International University of Catalonia)
Yuan Jia Zheng (Ph.D. in Economic History) is a Lecturer with Tenure Track at the International University of Catalonia in Spain. She was the Business History Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Business School, and was formerly Associate Lecturer at the University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on the development of the ecological and social responsibility of global business. She has looked in particular at the growth of EVs in China and the transfer of technology and knowledge. She has published in leading peer-reviewed journals including Business History Review and Business History.

This talk presents Dr Yuan Jia Zheng’s book project, The Transformation of China’s Automobile Industry since 1953: Multinationals, Technology Transfer, and Electric Vehicles, which explores the long-term evolution of China’s automobile sector from a technology importer to a global exporter and innovator. The project traces how China advanced through distinct historical phases from early reliance on Soviet support, to the attraction of leading carmakers through joint ventures during the reform era, and eventually to the “going out” strategy since the early 2000s. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese automobile companies have expanded their global footprint, particularly through exports of domestically branded EVs. These efforts reflect their progress in pushing technological frontiers and have drawn international attention to the competitiveness of this once-latecomer industry. The book highlights that this industrial transformation was shaped by state-led policy initiatives and the evolving dynamics between foreign multinationals and the private sector.