India, April 27 -- Global automakers including Volkswagen and Toyota came to this year's Beijing auto show looking to catch up to surging China EV makers that are dominating the world's largest auto market. The show that started this week showcased a marked shift in attitude among some foreign automakers, industry executives said. After being impressed by the bold leaps made by BYD and other Chinese automakers at last year's event in Shanghai, foreign automakers are now avidly searching for Chinese partners and announcing new tie-ups, the executives said.

Among the most active were European and Japanese automakers, with announcements coming from Toyota Motor that it would team up with Chinese gaming and social media giant Tencent on arti...