The disruptions at Nexperia have underscored China’s leverage in global chip supply. Now, Beijing is accelerating efforts to expand its domestic auto chip ecosystem. According to South China Morning Post, China has opened a state-level testing platform for automotive chips in Shenzhen. The report notes that the facility represents the country’s first state-backed infrastructure for verifying car-chip standards and supports China’s broader pursuit of technological self-sufficiency.
The platform was jointly launched by two state-owned enterprises — China Reform Holdings, an investment vehicle focused on sectors tied to national security and the economy, and the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, a leading industry research institute, as the report indicates.
As the report highlights, citing the firms’ joint announcement, the platform is equipped with more than 80 sets of testing instruments and 13 laboratories specializing in areas such as automotive-grade environmental and reliability testing, information security, and failure analysis.
The platform’s one-stop layout, as noted by Chinese media outlet Mydrivers, effectively addresses the fragmentation of China’s automotive chip verification resources, where different categories previously required testing by multiple institutions, significantly shortening the validation cycle.
Citing industry experts, Mydrivers states that the platform is a state-level pilot verification facility covering nine major and 81 subcategories of automotive chips. It serves as a public testing platform encompassing all application scenarios, including intelligent driving, smart cockpit, security, and power chips. The platform is expected to help accelerate the localization of high-end automotive chips, according to South China Morning Post, citing Shenzhen municipal authorities.
In the long run, the platform’s development carries broader strategic significance. According to Mydrivers, China plans to use it to establish unified evaluation methods and a standardized verification framework for automotive-grade chips, laying the foundation for a national standards system. The initiative is expected to improve the quality of domestic automotive chips and strengthen China’s influence in setting global standards, the report highlights.
Nexperia Disruption Ripples Across Global Auto Sector
While China is moving to strengthen its auto chip sector, the global auto industry is facing renewed strain. According to Reuters, automakers are scrambling to secure semiconductor supplies as a worsening shortage linked to Dutch firm Nexperia threatens production worldwide. The report, citing sources, notes that Nissan has chips only until the first week of November — just days away — while Honda has suspended operations at a plant in Mexico and begun adjusting output in the U.S..
