Chinese technology powerhouse, Huawei, and Chinese automaker, Dongfeng Motor, have announced the latest joint automotive brand, โYijingโ, marking a new era and yet another milestone achieved within the intelligent vehicles industry in China. This is the first new automotive brand to arise out of a partnership between a Chinese automaker and a technology powerhouse. The new brand launch occurred during the Huawei Qiankun ecosystem conference.
Brand Yijing is also engaged in the high-end electric vehicles industry
The newly developed brand, which has been named โYijing’, is also on course to unveil the first automotive product at the Beijing Auto Show, which is to take place in April 2026, announced Wang Junjun, the General Manager of Dongfeng eฯ Automobile Technology. This is clearly part of the plan to take advantage of the growing demand for electric vehicles in the Chinese high-end automotive market, which is also the time when the annual auto show is very significant.
The operational entity of Yijing is the business conducted under the name “sales company of Dongfeng eฯ,” and it immediately started using the official Weibo account after the announcement. The brand, before the present, has been known by such names as “DH Project” during the stages of product development, which indicate the joint business involvement between Dongfeng and Huawei.
Strategic co-operation agreement formalized in January 2025
Dongfeng and Huawei signed the strategic cooperation agreement on intelligent vehicles in Shenzhen, China, in January 2025, which marked the official kick-off of the joint project. The partnership also further expanded to include the Qiankun Smart Driving and HarmonySpace Cockpit solution provided by Huawei, which occurred in May.
GAC partnership introduces the Qijing brand simultaneously
Another Chinese automaker, the Guangzhou Automobile Group, and technology giant, Huawei, also announced that their joint brand, Qijing, is also launching its first car at the Auto Show, which is scheduled to take place in April 2026. In essence, it is interesting to take note of the competitive scene unfolding between the presence of Huawei in not just one but two ventures targeting the same sector. Qijing started operations last September 2025.
Liu Jiaming, who is the new CEO of Qijing, announced last September the plans to launch two new models by mid-2026. The expansion plans are very ambitious. The first vehicle under the brand name Qijing will feature L3 autonomous driving capabilities, which gives it the leading role in the Chinese automotive industry to develop self-driving vehicles.
Key partnership developments:
- January 2025: Strategic cooperation agreement
- May 2025: Increased partnership to include advanced technology
- September 2025: Inauguration of joint lab on software development
- November 2025: Brand names are revealed
HUAWEI expands automotive agenda beyond HIMA alliance
These new partnerships are also part of Huaweiโs extension beyond what it currently has with the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which already involves five brands: Aito, Luxeed, Stelato, Maextro, and Shangjie. In light of the information and terminology, it is most likely that Huawei has not invested to the same extent in collaborations involving Yijing and Qijing. HIMA recently achieved the landmark of the first million vehicles sold, boasting average transaction prices of RMB 390,000.
Huawei maintains its policy of not producing but getting more involved with car companies. They spun off the car business unit into Shenzhen Yinwang Intelligent Technology Co. to operate under “Huawei Qiankun,” further proving their policy of not becoming manufacturers but merely technology providers to the car companies. The new brand is also planning to expand by unveiling a new vehicle annually.
The launch of new brands such as Yijing and Qijing is an indication of the dynamic changes happening in the automotive industry of Huawei. The tie-ups between the above-mentioned companies mean that the companies are well placed to face the competition arising in the Chinese premium electric vehicles sector, leveraging on the expertise and automotive industry contacts that Huawei has.
