SAIC Motor and General Motors signed a renewal agreement on 5 August 2026, extending the term of their joint venture, SAIC General Motors Corporation (SAIC-GM), by 20 years to 2047. Fangda Partners, Zhong Lun Law Firm and Freshfields advised on the transaction.
The original SAIC-GM joint venture contract was signed on 31 October 1995 for a 30-year term and was due to expire in June 2027.
Fangda acted as SAIC Motor’s legal counsel, with partners Ji Nuo, Miles Ma, Sherry Xu and Derrick Zhao leading the team.
Zhong Lun advised GM on PRC law, with partner Anthony Zhao leading the team, and regional partner Roy Zheng and partner Gary Gao participating. Non-equity partner Zhou Yangjie provided assistance.
Freshfields acted as GM’s international legal counsel, with partners Alan Wang and Jonathan Zhou leading the team. Partner Richard Bird advised on certain IP licensing matters, while partner Liu Xin counselled on compliance issues. Partner Nicholas Lingard and counsel Yong Wei Chan provided advice relating to Singapore arbitration issues, while partner Nabeel Yousef and counsel Justin Simeone advised on US compliance matters.
Established in 1997, SAIC-GM operates the Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac brands, with products spanning market segments from mass-market cars to premium vehicles.
Among major Sino-foreign automotive joint ventures, SAIC-GM renewed its partnership relatively late. SAIC Motor and Volkswagen completed their second renewal deal about six years ahead of schedule in November 2024, extending their joint venture agreement to 2040. In July 2026, GAC Group and Honda announced the renewal of their joint venture two years ahead of schedule, extending it to 2038.
SAIC Motor said in a press release: “This renewal is a vote of confidence, based on nearly 30 years of successful co-operation, in the long-term value of the Chinese market and SAIC-GM’s ability to transform its business.”
The release said the partners would support a locally-led research and development team, with plans for SAIC-GM to launch at least 30 new-energy vehicle models by 2030. They will also accelerate the adoption of intelligent cockpit and advanced autonomous-driving technologies and continue expanding into international markets, including the Middle East, Africa, South America and the Asia-Pacific region.
