Proton Automobile China (PAC) Ltd, a subsidiary a Malaysia’s Proton Holdings, successfully terminated its joint venture contract with China’s Goldstar Heavy Industrial Co Ltd after the Chinese partner failed to obtain a licence to produce Proton’s vehicles in China.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


International arbitrators, overlooked by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre, ruled in favour of the termination of the joint venture contract by PAC in January. The panel said that Proton had acted in good faith by repeatedly extending the deadline over a period of four years for Goldstar to obtain the vehicle production licence from the Chinese government.


PAC was originally established in 2002 and has yet to carry out any business. Proton said it is now looking forward to pursuing new business opportunities in China.


Tony Pugliese

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact