Chery denies executive-dealer fight rumours, files police report in China

Chery Group has denied online rumours claiming that company executives became involved in a dispute and physical altercation with a dealer, saying the allegations were fabricated and that a police report has been filed.

On the evening of June 3, Chery’s legal department issued a public statement addressing content that had circulated across Chinese social media platforms, automotive discussion groups, and short-video channels. The company said reports alleging that Chery executives argued with or physically fought dealers were “entirely fabricated” and constituted malicious rumour-mongering.

Chery launches legal response

The automaker said its legal team has already begun tracing the source of the rumours and collecting evidence related to the dissemination of the claims.

Chery confirmed that it has reported the matter to public security authorities and stated that it intends to pursue legal responsibility against individuals or accounts responsible for creating and spreading the content.

The company also urged internet users not to spread unverified information.

Rumour centred on dealer relations

The online allegations claimed that a senior executive at a major Chinese automaker became involved in a confrontation with a dealer over inventory-related issues. Although early versions of the rumour did not explicitly identify a manufacturer, later social-media discussions linked the story to Chery.

Industry reports indicated that some online discussions referenced dealer group Hengxin Auto. However, Chery’s official statement did not name any dealer, executive, or specific incident.

No evidence has emerged confirming that any physical confrontation took place. As of June 4, no police findings or official follow-up notices had been released.

Growing use of legal action by automakers

Chery’s response follows a broader trend among Chinese automakers, which have increasingly relied on their legal departments to challenge online misinformation.

Last month, BYD disclosed that it had become one of China’s most active automakers in pursuing defamation-related cases involving bloggers and online influencers. CarNewsChina previously reported that BYD was seeking more than 7.3 million yuan (about 1.02 million USD) in multiple legal claims against content creators. A separate second-instance court ruling also upheld a judgment requiring a blogger to issue a public apology after a case involving damages of 2.1 million yuan (about 293,000 USD).

The latest Chery case adds to a growing number of public legal actions by Chinese automotive companies aimed at combating rumours and protecting corporate reputations.

Sales context

According to China EV DataTracker data for the Chery brand, the QQ3 EV was the company’s best-selling model with 8,494 units sold, followed by the Tiggo 8 with 5,859 units and the Arrizo 8 with 5,344 units. The Tiggo 9 ranked fourth with 3,011 units, while the Fulwin T9 recorded 1,950 units.