BAIC Foton and Weichai Power Sign Special Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Deepen Industrial Synergy

Sep 23, 2026

On September 21, a strategic cooperation signing ceremony between BAIC Group and Shandong Heavy Industry Group was held at the BAIC R&D base in Beijing, during which BAIC Foton Motor and Weichai Power inked a special strategic cooperation agreement. The two companies will focus on three key areas — coordinated supply of core components, joint R&D of new-energy products, and integration of intelligent connected technologies — to break down the barriers between complete-vehicle manufacturing and the core powertrain supply chain. The signing upgrades a long-standing business relationship into a full-scale, in-depth partnership built on shared resources, complementary strengths, joint technology development and coordinated market expansion, with the goal of cutting costs, lifting efficiency and driving the commercial vehicle industry toward higher value, greater intelligence and lower carbon emissions.

BAIC Foton Weichai Power partnershipFoton Weichai strategic cooperation agreementWeichai Power commercial vehicle powertrainjoint R&D new energy trucks Chinaintelligent connected commercial vehicle cooperationChina commercial vehicle supply chain integrationShandong Heavy Industry BAIC Group cooperationFoton core component supply coordination

BAIC Foton and Weichai Power Sign Special Strategic Cooperation Agreement to Deepen Industrial Synergy

Beijing, 21 September 2026 — A strategic cooperation signing ceremony between BAIC Group and Shandong Heavy Industry Group was held today at the BAIC R&D base in Beijing. At the ceremony, BAIC Foton Motor Co., Ltd. ("BAIC Foton") and Weichai Power Co., Ltd. ("Weichai Power") signed a special strategic cooperation agreement, formally elevating the two companies' long-standing business ties into a comprehensive, in-depth partnership.

BAIC Foton and Weichai Power sign a special strategic cooperation agreement at the BAIC R&D base in Beijing — Signing ceremony of the special strategic cooperation agreement between BAIC Foton and Weichai Power.

1. Senior leadership from both groups in attendance

Executives from both parent groups and both listed operating companies attended the ceremony, underlining the group-level significance of the agreement.

From the BAIC side: Zhang Jianyong, Party Secretary and Chairman of BAIC Group; Chang Rui, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of BAIC Group and Chairman of BAIC Foton; Lu Zhenghua, Party Secretary and General Manager of BAIC Foton; and Cui Shipeng, Deputy General Manager of BAIC Foton.

From the Shandong Heavy Industry side: Wang Zhijian, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shandong Heavy Industry Group; Ma Changhai, Party Committee Member and Deputy General Manager of Shandong Heavy Industry Group, Party Secretary and Chairman of Weichai Group; Wang Decheng, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of Weichai Group and Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of Weichai Power; and Li Pengcheng, Party Committee Member of Weichai Group and of Weichai Power and Vice General Manager of Weichai Power.

2. Three priority areas of cooperation

Under the agreement, BAIC Foton and Weichai Power will fully leverage the deep industrial accumulation and core competitive advantages of both sides, and will carry out all-round, in-depth and pragmatic cooperation focused on three key domains.

Priority area	Scope of cooperation	Intended outcome
Coordinated supply of core components	Matching and supply coordination for powertrain and other critical components across Foton's complete-vehicle programmes	Stable, competitive and optimised component supply from vehicle development stage onward
Joint R&D of new-energy products	Co-developed new-energy power and vehicle solutions, pairing Weichai's powertrain depth with Foton's complete-vehicle and application-scenario strengths	Faster conversion of technology into market-ready new-energy products
Integration of intelligent connected technologies	Convergence of intelligent connected and smart vehicle technologies with powertrain and chassis systems	Deeper system-level integration across vehicle, powertrain and software

3. Breaking down the barrier between vehicle manufacturing and the powertrain chain

The two parties stated that they will work through mutual access to resources, complementary strengths, joint technology development and coordinated market expansion, continuously removing the barriers between complete-vehicle manufacturing and the core powertrain industrial chain. The objective is to further strengthen the core competitiveness of their products and to deliver cost reduction, efficiency gains and mutual benefit.

"This special signing is both an iterative upgrade of the long-standing business cooperation between the two sides, and an important strategic deployment grounded in the development trends of the industry."
— Joint statement released at the ceremony

4. About Weichai Power

Weichai Power is the core flagship enterprise of Shandong Heavy Industry Group and a globally recognised provider of power system solutions. The company has built deep technical accumulation and a complete industrial chain layout across engines, transmissions, complete-vehicle powertrains and new-energy power systems. Its products are sold in markets worldwide, and it holds broad industry influence in China's commercial vehicle power segment.

Quick facts

Date of signing: 21 September 2026, at the BAIC R&D base, Beijing
Contracting parties: BAIC Foton Motor Co., Ltd. and Weichai Power Co., Ltd.
Umbrella framework: Strategic cooperation between BAIC Group and Shandong Heavy Industry Group
Three priority areas: Core component supply coordination; joint new-energy product R&D; intelligent connected technology integration
Operating mechanism: Resource sharing, complementary strengths, joint technology building, market coordination
Stated goals: Break down vehicle-manufacturing / powertrain-chain barriers, cut costs, raise efficiency, achieve win-win outcomes

5. Outlook

Going forward, the two companies said they will use the agreement as their foundation, deepen whole-chain industrial synergy, and jointly promote high-quality development of the commercial vehicle industry towards higher-end, smarter and greener structures.

The move comes as China's commercial vehicle sector steps up vertical integration of core technologies — battery, e-drive and electronic control on one side, and conventional powertrain capability on the other — as manufacturers seek greater control over cost, performance and supply security in both domestic and export markets.

Source: BAIC Foton official news centre, published 23 September 2026 — "Deepening industrial synergy: BAIC Foton and Weichai Power sign special strategic cooperation agreement" (original article: newsDetail0659eb.html). Event date: 21 September 2026, Beijing. Translated from Chinese; names of executives are rendered in pinyin.

Related coverage on this site: Foton Brand Day lands four strategic breakthroughs (28 August 2026) · First AxTrax 2 electric drive axle rolls off the line at the Foton–ZF JV plant in Jiaxing (22 June 2026).