SAIC-GM-Wuling has partnered with smartphone giant Xiaomi on "Internet ecology", SAIC Group said Monday.

SAIC said it will actively build a new industrial ecology with several Internet companies through cross-industry cooperation.

Xiaomi founder Lei Jun said on Weibo on July 28 that the self-driving division of Xiaomi's automotive business has launched a recruitment drive with plans to hire the first 500 engineers.

Xiaomi will develop L4 self-driving technology, and the positions support multiple locations in China, the Weibo post said.

Xiaomi officially announced its entry into the car-making space on March 30, and this is the highest-profile hiring move the company has announced since then.

Since Xiaomi officially announced its entry into the car-making business on March 30 this year, a number of places, including Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan, have been rumored to be approaching Xiaomi to locate a Xiaomi car.

Since the announcement, Lei has been visiting various places and frequenting various OEMs, including BYD, SGMW, and the Great Wall Motors.

SAIC-GM-Wuling said that from January to June, the company's overall sales reached 884,195 units, up 39.5 percent year-over-year, achieving 15 consecutive months of positive year-over-year growth.

Among them, Wuling brand sold 693,351 units, Baojun brand sold 123,057 units and the company's vehicle export volume was 74,225 units.

According to the data, the sales of Wuling Hongguang Mini EV reached 182,767 units in the first half of the year, with an average of 1,000 units sold per day.

Xiaomi invests in another self-driving technology provider