Honda Signs Agreement with GAC Group to Extend Term of GAC Honda Joint Venture

BEIJING, China, July 20, 2026 – Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (HMCI), a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, today announced that Honda and its automobile production and sales joint venture partner in China, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group), signed an agreement to extend the joint venture term of GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda) through 2038.

GAC Honda (originally named Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd.) was established in July 1998 as the first Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China and began automobile production in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in March 1999. GAC Honda built a first-of-its-kind “four-in-one” automobile sales and service network*1 in China that was well received by many customers. As reflected in its cumulative sales of more than 11 million units*2, GAC Honda has contributed to the development and growth of the automobile industry in China.

Today, China has grown into the world's largest automobile market in volume, where competition continues to intensify amid the rapid advancement of electrification and intelligent technologies. By fully leveraging the respective technologies and resources of Honda and GAC Group, and continuing to offer products that meet the diverse needs of customers, Honda will further strengthen its automobile business in China.

Automobile sales and service network that integrates sales, service, parts supply, customer feedback, and management of customer feedback and information

Honda internal count

About GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda)

Established July 1998
Head office location Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China
Capital investment 867,215,960 USD
Capitalization ratio 50% Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group)
40% Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
10% Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd.
Representative Katsuhide Moriyama, President

About Honda automobile business in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China

1997 Honda signed a basic agreement on a passenger vehicle project in China
1998 Honda signed joint venture agreements to establish two joint ventures:
Guangzhou Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (Guangzhou Honda) and Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd.
1999 Production of Accord began at Guangzhou Honda plant in HuangPu District, Guangzhou
2003 Honda Automobile (China) Co., Ltd. was established as first Honda automobile production plant
in China dedicated exclusively to exports
2006 Automobile production began at Guangzhou Honda plant in ZengCheng, Guangzhou
2007 Guangzhou Honda Automobile Research&Development Co., Ltd. was established
as a R&D subsidiary of Guangzhou Honda
2009 Guangzhou Honda changed its name to GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda)
2015 GAC Honda Automobile Sales Co., Ltd. was established as a sales subsidiary of GAC Honda
2016 GAC Honda cumulative automobile sales reached 5 million-unit milestone
2020 GAC Honda absorbed its wholly owned subsidiary, Honda Automobile (China), Co., Ltd.
2023 GAC Honda cumulative automobile sales reached 10 million\-unit milestone
2024 GAC Honda began operation of the Development District NEV Factory,
a new energy vehicle (NEV) production factory
2025 GAC Honda made Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd.
its wholly-owned subsidiary and renamed it GAC Honda Engine Co., Ltd.