In 2009, the PRC overtook the USA as the biggest automotive market in the world in production as well as in sales. With economic problems like stagnating real income, rising raw material prices and credit-driven consumerism in the industrial countries the importance of the Chinese market for car companies will even grow. Saturated passenger car markets in the USA and Western Europe and low rates of motorization in new automotive markets like China focus the attention of the market participants on these new, growing markets. The focus of this study is on the passenger vehicle market and lines out why the Chinese market is profitable and attractive for international manufacturers. Moreover, it shows how to deal with the problems and how to use the opportunities regarding the dimensions of internationalization. Firstly, the PEST-Analysis of the Chinese automobile market lines out the political-legal, economic, socio-cultural and technological factors. In such a rapidly changing and growing as well as culturally completely different country like the PRC, the framework conditions and circumstances are of big importance for foreign enterprises willing to do business there. The third chapter deals with possible internationalization strategies for China by showing possibilities of timing and market development strategies plus options for locating business markets. This is also further established in the fourth chapter, in which the internationalization strategies of two German enterprises are analyzed. Furthermore the fourth chapter analyses the internationalization strategies of VW and BMW. At the end of this thesis, the results are summarized in two SWOT-analyses of both firms including measures on how to deal with threats in the PRC and on how to benefit from strengths and opportunities.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, , course: Automotive Management, language: English, abstract: China’s economy is growing year by year. The persistent growth has affected the auto-mobile sector in particular. Increasing income and the passenger vehicle as an exclusive status-symbol has risen the private demand. In 2009, the PRC overtook the USA as the biggest automotive market in the world in production as well as in sales. This trend will certainly continue: With economic problems like stagnating real income, rising raw material prices and credit-driven consumerism in the industrial countries the importance of the Chinese market for car companies will even grow. Saturated passenger car markets in the USA and Western Europe and low rates of motorisation in new auto-motive markets like China focus the attention of the market participants on these new, growing markets. But the upward trend has already shown a downside. Increasing de-pendency on the strong politically influenced market and claims about know-how transfer are exemplary threats. As German enterprises in this industrial sector are popular worldwide and the car-industry is the key industry in our country, the internationalisation strategies of German automotive companies in China will be analysed in the following. The trend of the Chinese automobi-le market can be summarised in a quote of Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler: “Wir fahren noch nicht im höchsten Gang, wir können noch mehr”. The quote relates to the expected turnover and profit records of Daimler in 2011, which were mainly based on the success in the PRC: The Swabian vehicle manufacturer sold 198,500 automobiles in China. In spite of these difficulties, the automotive market in the PRC is very attractive, especially for the well-known German firms. However, the companies should know how to manage the problems in China. Therefore, the choice of a suitable strategy of internationalisation is crucial. By definition internationalisation strategy is the orientation of corporate development by growth in different foreign markets. In contrast to an international market entry strategy, an internationalisation strategy is not only about starting business in a foreign market, but also developing a strategy in a market which has already been entered. The focus of this bachelor thesis is put on the passenger vehicle market and lines out why the Chinese market is profitable and attractive for German and international manu-facturers in general. [...]

Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: 2,0, Ocean University of China, 6 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: In Germany as well as in China, the automobile industry is one of the dominating sectors. Many economic activities like tire industry, plastics industry, metal processing rely on automobile. With changing technologies, production concepts, strategies and products, the car industry is often an initiator of innovations in other industries. Its success has been due to the technological competencies of manufacturers, suppliers and their respective employees. In this essay, I am going to describe the differences or similarities in a car industry between China and Germany, focusing on history, current facts, figures and other economic issues.

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2008 in the subject Business economics - General, grade: 2,0, University of Cooperative Education (VWA Stuttgart (BA)), language: English, abstract: “China – big but not easy” (1) titled the Automotive Industries Magazine in its July 2005 issue, reporting about the German premium car manufacturer Audi, who is manufacturing in China since 1999. This simple statement breaks down the risks and opportunities for the German automotive supplier industry in China into two keywords. The first one is “big”: in the last decades, the eyes of the world’s automotive supplier industry have been directed to China, because it is promising to be the world’s biggest market soon. Given the fact that one fifth of mankind lives in China and its standard of living is rapidly improving, it is only a question of time until the promise becomes real. In addition to this enormous sales potential, the advantages of cheap labor and an improving level of technology and education show China’s attractive sourcing potential. The second one is “not easy”: exploiting this potential and taking part in the growth comes with a variety of challenges to the foreign suppliers: a completely different culture, a dynamic and highly competitive market and a political-legal system that favors its home industry over the foreigners – only to name a few. Although this paper is concerned with the German automotive suppliers in particular, it is inevitable to draw a complete picture of the country in general and the situation of the automotive manufacturers, which are in many areas the driving force behind the supplier’s activities. So the first chapters describe the market environment, progressing from the general to the specific and providing the framework necessary for the in-depth analysis of risks and opportunities. These are separated into internal and external aspects. Internal risks and opportunities derive from the weaknesses and strengths of a company itself. The external risks and opportunities in contrast can hardly be influenced by the suppliers as they are effects of the political and economical development. But the suppliers can develop strategies to adapt: using the opportunities and avoiding the risks! So, the aim of this paper is to show why China is such an important but difficult market for the German automotive suppliers and – as a conclusion – to give recommendations and strategies for being Successful in China. (1) Wessel-Aas (2005), p.1

Master's Thesis from the year 2015 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 1,3, Berlin School of Economics and Law (IMB), language: English, abstract: This paper investigates Chinese automotive companies’ internationalisation activities into the European market. They are still short on experience and young in history. Since the Chinese economy has only gradually liberalised after 1978, the industry has been highly influenced by joint venture activities with foreign automobile companies in China.12 years ago, Chinese automotive companies started to internationalise. Dunning’s eclectic paradigm is utilized as academic foundation and related motives and entry modes are aligned to current Chinese activities. In early attempts to enter Europe there was a predominant resource-seeking motive, while later market-seeking reasons became more obvious and have dominated the activities since. So far, ownership-specific advantages do not play a major role in terms of valuable intangible assets like patents, whereas location specific determinants are significant, especially in terms of governmental impact. Additional home market advantages in labour endowment, resources, legal environment and strong finan- cial resources give Chinese automakers an edge and prepare them to further internationalise. However, regarding all OLI forces, there are still no outweighing advantages over European competitors. The interviewed experts do not expect a noticeable market entry with significant sales volume within the next ten years. To date, Chinese exports and FDI in Europe are the most relevant modes even though visibility is marginal. According to industry experts, companies like Qoros, BYD and Geely are possible candidates to succeed on the European market in the future. Other brands, which failed to enter Europe, e.g. due to lacking safety standards, are yet still opinion-forming. It is concluded, that if China’s automotive industry consolidates and advances technologically, it will be prepared to successfully compete on global markets, in particular Europe. The acquisition of European car manufacturers represent – in this context – a feasible possibility to speed up the process and offset technological deficiencies.