Chinese auto makers seek way out of chip shortage Adjust font size: Workers are busy at the production line of Shaanxi Auto Xinjiang Automobile Co., Ltd. in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Sept. 24, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua] With the shortage of automobile chips expected to linger, some Chinese auto makers need to brace for a short-term disruption to production next year, according to a local industry association. A rise in chip prices is also likely, resulting from an increase in advance purchasing by companies along the industry chain and the difficulties of increasing production capacity in the short run, said Li Shaohua, an official with the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), in a recent interview with Auto Review magazine.