“To me, it’s a fusion of German meticulous craftsmanship and China’s smart digital core,” Liu said. AdvertisementWhile carmakers traditionally procured components in-house or through joint ventures, Liu’s vehicle marked a shift: ByteDance, an external specialist firm, was contracted to deliver a complete, cutting-edge digital service. Researchers said the partnership underscored China’s growing prominence in digital service outsourcing – particularly AI-powered services and research capabilities – and its ambition to challenge India’s long-standing dominance. AdvertisementThe “world’s factory” aspires to move up the value chain as a high-end service provider, though it still lags behind India, known as the “office of the world”. That ambition became clear in December, when Beijing pledged to cultivate internationally competitive service outsourcing leaders and upgrade digitalisation and intelligent services by 2030.