BYD Is Becoming China's Geopolitical "Ace Card"

As Trump disrupts the world, a new Chinese strategy takes off

Over the past decade, China’s green industry has undergone a metamorphosis.

From being just another economic sector, in 2024, China’s clean energy sector contributed 10% of China’s GDP, around $1.9 trillion. This astonishing figure means that China’s strategy and decisions around “green” have started to provide real economic ROI.

Of the many businesses that make up China’s green world, the most well-known is BYD, the world’s largest EV maker. In 2024, BYD produced 1.777 million cars, slightly more than Tesla, which produced 1.774 million vehicles. BYD is the clear leader in sales, having sold over 3 million cars in 2023, while Tesla sold 1.8 million in the same year.

This is not a comparison between BYD and Tesla.

It is an indicator that China’s green companies have serious weight. Not only is BYD the global EV champion, but it is also taking steps that most other companies are not - like moving to buy its own ships and control how its vehicles circulate the globe.