Gasgoo Munich- Changchun recently opened a public comment period for its draft "15th Five-Year Plan for Automotive Industry Development."The draft calls for fully supporting automakers in their transformation and upgrading, aiming to forge world-class enterprise groups. It prioritizes backing vehicle manufacturers as they push into new energy and energy-efficient vehicles, while helping them build a clearer brand hierarchy. Crucially, it encourages automakers to strengthen strategic partnerships with domestic cross-sector players in the intelligent connected vehicle space.Image source: FAW JiefangSpecifically, the city will fully back China FAW as it integrates global innovation resources and deepens strategic technical cooperation with Leapmotor, Huawei, and DJI in new energy vehicles and intelligent connectivity. Priority is being placed on driving the industrial application and iterative upgrades of key technologies, including all-solid-state batteries, the "Hongqi 1" multi-domain fusion chip, the Sinan autonomous driving model, and the Lingxi cockpit model.The plan also supports China FAW in deepening strategic partnerships with leading tech firms and internet platforms like Huawei, Baidu, and iFlytek. By establishing joint innovation laboratories, the parties aim to tackle critical technologies such as edge-cloud integrated intelligent architecture, Level 3 and above autonomous driving, and multimodal interaction. The goal is to establish a nationally influential hub for innovation in intelligent connected vehicles.Seizing on national policies that encourage mergers and acquisitions of high-quality enterprises, the document proposes supporting Changchun's automakers in acquiring stakes in or buying out companies and brands with strong technical capabilities. Leveraging the city's industrial strengths, the plan calls for introducing hit models through contract manufacturing or independent production to revitalize idle manufacturing capacity.The city intends to assess the competitive landscape and expansion needs of top domestic automakers, focusing on attracting manufacturers with distinct technological and market advantages. By encouraging cross-regional mergers and the settlement of innovative startups, Changchun aims to foster a multi-tiered automotive ecosystem anchored by industry leaders and supported by a robust following of emerging players.