Xin Tianshu Joins Stellantis Core Circle: Chinese Automakers' Reverse Export Takes Center Stage

Marriages between multinational corporations and Chinese automakers usually feel like arranged marriages: one side puts up money, the other provides tech, they sign the deal and go their separate ways, with a few board meetings a year to call it a day. But the relationship between Stellantis and Leapmotor clearly doesn't follow that script. In October 2023, Stellantis acquired about 20% of Leapmotor for €1.5 billion, establishing a joint venture called "Leapmotor International," controlled by Stellantis which leads overseas sales. At the time, outsiders widely interpreted this as "European giant buying Chinese NEV tech with cash," a reverse version of the classic "market-for-technology" trade. But today's appointment of Xin Tianshu makes people re-evaluate the essence of this deal.