MIIT: Average Payment Terms of Major Automakers Improve

The admission that terms remain short of supplier expectations matters more than the improvement itself: it signals that Beijing views payment cycles as a structural risk to smaller firms, not a one-off grievance. The named sticking points — differing payment start dates and unclear acceptance conditions — are exactly where enforcement tends to stall, since they are contractual gray zones rather than outright non-payment. Whether the ministry moves from pledging sustained efforts to measurable standards is the open question for suppliers and the automakers' own working-capital positions.