Lei Jun gifts Zhou Yunjie a SU7 Ultra car model; Xiaomi and Haier discuss ecosystem, AI, and car-home connectivity cooperation

Haier and Xiaomi's mutual overture! Lei Jun gifts a SU7 Ultra car model to Zhou Yunjie—is car-home interconnection coming? Rryyo 1 hour ago The promise made at the Two Sessions has finally been fulfilled.

Xiaomi and Haier have finally had the most dignified mutual overture in the 2026 tech world.

On the afternoon of November 2, Lei Jun posted on Weibo: "Visited Haier headquarters to learn, thanks to Chairman Zhou Yunjie of Haier for the warm hospitality! I gave Chairman Zhou an Ultra car model."

In the photo, Lei Jun and Zhou Yunjie stand side by side, Lei Jun holding that Xiaomi SU7 Ultra car model, smiling quite happily.

Image source: Weibo

Zhou Yunjie's response was even more interesting.

He directly reposted Lei Jun's Weibo, and his first sentence was: "Welcome Chairman Lei to visit Haier; this is what the two of us agreed on at this year's Two Sessions."

Agreed on—three words that turned a business mutual visit into a reunion of old friends.

Rewind to the National Two Sessions in March 2026. When Lei Jun was interviewed by Xinhua News Agency, he proactively mentioned Haier, saying that Haier is a peer and teacher to Xiaomi.

On the spot, he extended an invitation to Zhou Yunjie: "I sincerely invite Chairman Zhou to visit and guide the Xiaomi factory, so that together we can push smart manufacturing one big step further."

Zhou Yunjie's response was also crisp: "I very much hope to have the chance to visit Xiaomi, and I also welcome Lei Jun to visit Haier."

One called out, the other took up the challenge. Eight months later, Lei Jun really came.

Speaking of which, the bond between these two goes back even further. At the 2025 Two Sessions, the two of them walked the deputies' passage together.

At that time, Chairman Lei in front of the camera smiled with the spring breeze of success, while Zhou Yunjie behind him had his hands folded and a socially anxious look on his face; the photo was immediately made into a meme by netizens, and the name "Haimi Brothers" came from that time.

Image source: Weibo

Jokes aside, Chairman Lei's visit to Haier this time was really not just about catching up.

From Zhou Yunjie's reply, we can learn that the two had in-depth exchanges on topics such as the ecosystem, AI innovation, and globalization. He also specifically mentioned: Haier is leading the construction of a national AI application pilot base in the home and home-appliance direction, and the platform is open to the entire industry, looking forward to joining hands with partners from all walks of life. I also look forward to finding an opportunity to visit Xiaomi for exchange and learning.

Think about it—between the lines, they are all handing over ladders for cooperation.

Image source: Weibo screenshot

Why is Lei Jun so courteous to Haier? Because in the home-appliance track, Xiaomi's way of playing has never been to go it alone.

Take a look at Xiaomi's circle of friends, and you'll find that Lei Jun's skill at making friends is indeed remarkable.

In 2014, Xiaomi spent nearly 1.3 billion yuan to take a stake in Midea Group. More than a decade ago, a phone maker clinging to the leg of a traditional home-appliance giant stunned the industry.

This step of a cross-industry marriage can be considered as Xiaomi directly knocking open the door to the home-appliance supply chain and manufacturing experience.

Viomi, one of the earliest to make internet water purifiers and internet home appliances, received joint investment from Xiaomi and Shunwei upon its founding in 2014; it not only OEMs water purifiers and refrigerators for Xiaomi but also has a say in product definition.

It listed on Nasdaq in 2018, going directly from an OEM factory to co-creating hit products.

Aqara, one could say, is the nerve endings of whole-house intelligence. It joined Xiaomi's ecological chain in 2014, with core products being sensors, smart gateways, and curtain motors, covering more than 50 categories and over 2,200 SKUs. Xiaomi has been Aqara's largest customer for so many years.

Perhaps the Mijia temperature-humidity sensors and door-window sensors in your home are very likely made by Aqara.

There is also the dark horse in the kitchen, Cheng Yi Technology. It received strategic investment from Xiaomi in 2022; the Mijia smart range hood it developed uses dynamic particle capture technology to achieve smoke exhaust efficiency more than 10 times that of traditional range hoods. When the first product was released, Lei Jun personally showed up to support it, and retail sales went from less than 200 million to nearly 700 million.

Have you noticed? In home appliances, Xiaomi actually doesn't much like to make everything itself.

Image source: Baidu

It is more like a stage builder, providing the brand, the channels, and the Mijia App and Xiao Ai Tongxue system, then pulling in Midea and bringing along Viomi, Aqara, and Cheng Yi Technology to jointly prop up the Mijia ecosystem.

Zhou Yunjie said publicly last year that Haier and Xiaomi have been communicating and studying the issue of smart home interconnection. He even said bluntly that Apple's and Xiaomi's systems are relatively closed, while Haier's platform can integrate many brands.

In the view of Xiao Lei Bibi (ID: xiaoleibbb), if these two really cooperate deeply, then your refrigerator, air conditioner, and washing machine are Haier's, and your phone and car are Xiaomi's, all interconnected within one system.

To be honest, the biggest feeling this gives me is that in today's tech world, there really are no permanent rivals, only permanent mutual need.

One gives a car model, the other talks about the ecosystem. One shows muscle, the other hands over a ladder.

This is the kind of mutual overture the Chinese tech world should have: you visit my factory, I learn from your ecosystem; you have your closed loop, I have my platform; everyone sits down and talks to see where things can connect.

Lei Jun and Zhou Yunjie spent eight months turning a long-distance call-out into a face-to-face dialogue. The two leaders are willing to sit down and put interconnection on the table for discussion—that alone already beats many.

What do you think Haier and Xiaomi will ultimately cook up in cooperation? Co-branded home appliances, or car-home interconnection? Come to the comments section and share your views.

Source: Leikeji

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