Masashi Matsuyama, vice president of Nissan Motor Co. and president of Nissan (China) Investment Co., speaks at a news conference in Beijing on December 17 to announce joint research with Tsinghua University. Nissan Motor Co. is strengthening its research links with a top Chinese university as it and other foreign automakers battle to reclaim market dominance in China.

The Japanese automaker announced on Sunday that it will conduct joint research with Tsinghua University next year on reaching Generation Z — those born between 1995 and 2009 — as well as automakers' social responsibility in battery recycling, charging stations, and other electric vehicle-related issues.

The major automakers were caught off guard by a surge in electric car sales in China, which has given rise to new Chinese competitors that have devoured market share at home and are now expanding into Southeast Asia, Europe, and other international markets. Nissan's sales in China fell 34% year on year in the six months from April to September.

"Market conditions in China have become extremely tough," Masashi Matsuyama, president of Nissan's Chinese investment company, said at a news conference in Beijing.

Nissan intends to create ten more new-energy vehicles for the Chinese market, four under its own brand and six for Chinese joint venture partners by 2026. The first Nissan-branded vehicle is expected to be released in the second part of next year.

In addition, the manufacturer is expanding its electric vehicle offers in other markets. Nissan, which has a partnership with Renault SA of France, announced last month that it would retool a factory in the United Kingdom to produce electric versions of its two best-selling vehicles.

China's electric vehicles have become a trade concern for the European Union, which has initiated an investigation into Chinese government subsidies to assess whether they have provided an unfair competitive advantage to Chinese-based manufacturers. Nissan and Tsinghua University have collaborated on research for many years. In 2016, they formed a collabaorative centre to research electric vehicles and autonomous driving for the Chinese market