(Yicai) April 9 -- Nearly 1,000 Chinese and international exhibitors from 26 countries and regions will attend the 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.

The 10-day Shanghai Auto Show, which will kick off on April 23, has an exhibition area of over 360,000 square meters, the organizers announced today. The event will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center under the theme "Embracing Innovation, Empowering the Future."

The Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers co-organized the show, with Shanghai International Exhibition Group and Auto Shanghai Management responsible for its execution.

Notable participants at this year's event include global auto giants Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz Group, BMW Group, and Audi and leading domestic carmakers FAW Group, BYD, and SAIC Motor, said Gu Chunting, vice president of the CPIT Shanghai and chairman of Shanghai International Exhibition.

Nio, Xpeng, Li Auto, and other electric vehicle startups return, while first-time exhibitors include Xiaomi Auto, Huawei Technologies' Harmony intelligent Mobility Alliance, Nio's Onvo and Firefly brands, BYD's Fangchengbao, Chery Auto's iCAR, Guangzhou Automobile Group's joint venture with Japan's Hino Motors, and Geely Holding Group's Chunqing Technology, Gu pointed out. More than 100 new models will likely be unveiled, with over 100 press conferences held on-site, Gu noted.

Although the number of participants is roughly the same as the 20th Shanghai Auto Show, there has been a significant increase in the number and area of exhibitors in the auto tech and supply chain exhibition zones, which will exceed 100,000 sqm. Such participants include Huawei, battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, parts maker Continental, and auto rolling element bearings manufacturer Schaeffler Group.

Nearly 50 world-renowned companies will debut at this year's show, including Sony Group, Intel, Momenta, 3M, Mobileye Global, and Lenovo Vehicle Computing.

"The global auto industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, facing never before seen development opportunities and challenges," said Fu Bingfeng, executive VP and secretary-general of the CAAM. "The new tariffs initiated by US President Donald Trump have significantly impacted the global economy, adding more uncertainty to the supply chain.

"We believe that in this broader context, the industry should adhere to the principle of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, strengthen communication and collaboration, and jointly uphold the prosperity and stability of the global auto industry," Fu noted. "Innovation-driven and collaborative development has become the consensus among professionals while leading firms have taken open cooperation and innovation for mutual benefit actions."

Editor: Martin Kadiev