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China's automobile production and sales have ranked first in the world for 11 consecutive years, and its market position is increasingly important. However, with the current stock competition, many foreign-funded automobile enterprises have retreated after encountering difficulties. After Suzuki withdrew from the domestic joint venture in 2018, Chang 'an PSA was dissolved at the end of 2019, and Renault also stopped the operation of Dongfeng Renault joint venture in 2020. Under Matthew effect, weak foreign-funded automobile enterprises may not be able to support the sixth delisting.

In response to the current overall auto market environment, Ford executives said that no car company can give up the Chinese market and should become bigger and stronger in the Chinese market.

On December 9, the 8th "Top 500 Development Zone Dialogue" was held in Chengdu. At the conference, Liu Qing, vice chairman of Ford Motor Greater China, said that in 2019, nearly 26 million vehicles were produced and sold in China, compared with 17 million in the United States and 16 million in Europe. Including Ford Motor Company, no automobile enterprises are willing to give up the Chinese market, and it is impossible to give up the Chinese market. If the Chinese market is not bigger and stronger, then there will be no due position in the world market.

Liu Qing also believes that for foreign-funded automobile enterprises, China already has a complete automobile industry chain and a good ecosystem in the industry.

Ford used to be a foreign-funded automobile enterprise with an annual production and sales of millions of vehicles in China, but in recent years, it suffered a "Waterloo"-like sales decline, and its joint venture Changan Ford also encountered difficulties, and was once considered a member of possible delisting. Now Ford executives are partly countering suspicion.

According to the data, Ford's total sales volume in China reached 1.27 million in 2016, a record high since entering China. Since then, sales volume has declined successively due to problems such as slow renewal of its own products. Ford sales in China fell to 567,900 vehicles in 2019. Ford China consists of Changan Ford, Ford brand imported cars, Jiangling Automobile, Lincoln brand and other businesses.

Changan Ford is one of the joint ventures that have declined faster. Chang 'an Ford has experienced a cliff-like sales decline in the past four years. In 2016, Chang' an Ford achieved an annual sales volume of 957,500 vehicles, close to one million taels. With the changes in the market environment and the prominence of its own problems, Chang 'an Ford's market performance has plummeted. Chang 'an Ford achieved sales of 828,000 vehicles in 2018, down 12.3% year-on-year; Chang' an Ford sold 378,000 new vehicles in 2018, a year-on-year cut; Chang 'an Ford sales fell to 193,900 vehicles in 2019, continuing to achieve a cut.

After the adjustment of management team and product line, Chang 'an Ford achieved sales recovery in 2020. Driven by the launch of Fox, Sharp, New World and Domestic Explorers, as well as the realization of domestic Lincoln models, Chang 'an Ford reversed the momentum of continuous decline. In November this year, it achieved sales of 28736 vehicles, with a year-on-year growth of 53%. In the first November, the cumulative sales volume was 222174 vehicles, with a year-on-year growth of 33.8%.

In 2020, China's automobile market is expected to decline by about 8% year-on-year, and Chang 'an Ford sales volume will increase, which can be seen that the product adjustment has achieved initial results.

After experiencing a sustained downturn in the Chinese market, Ford Motor officially upgraded Ford China into an independent business unit in October 2018, reporting directly to global headquarters and seeking to transform and increase sales. Immediately, Chen Anning became president of Ford China and began to devote himself to building a localized executive team, proposing the slogan of "More Ford and More China". In August this year, Chen Anning, president of Ford China, said: Ford's determination to take root in the Chinese market has not changed. Ford has planned a lot of products this year and plans to localize its industrial chain capabilities within 1-2 years.

"If we don't become bigger and stronger in the Chinese market, we won't have a proper position in the world market." One sentence confirms the importance of the Chinese market. After several years of deep adjustment, Ford's business in China has rebounded. No automobile enterprises are willing to give up the Chinese market, but under the stock competition, perhaps the exit of some foreign-funded automobile enterprises has been unavoidable.

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