Volkswagen treated China like an infinite growth hack for decades, flooding the country with factories and joint ventures that looked brilliant until the locals figured out how to build cheaper, smarter cars. What executives once called "strategic expansion" now reads like a masterclass in training your future competition while paying them to learn your playbook.
The company's recent restructuring talk frames the problem as "global headwinds" and "evolving consumer preferences." Translation: Chinese automakers studied the German blueprint, cut the fat, added tech that actually works, and now outsell the originals in places Volkswagen once treated as afterthoughts. The same supply chains and talent pools built for joint gains are now powering brands that don't need German oversight.
