以往的一些研究认为，外资进入会对发展中国家的本土汽车零部件行业带来毁灭性的打击。但是，在我国市场逐渐开放的过程中，依然成长起一批本土汽车零部件企业，并表现出不错的市场竞争力。一些企业通过拓展客户关系提升了企业的能力水平。这一现象为研究我国本土企业的能力提升机制提供了宝贵的研究机会。 本文的研究目标是分析市场开放对于我国本土汽车零部件企业的客户关系特征、能力提升的影响与机制。本文探讨了汽车行业合资政策和零部件国产化政策对零部件行业的影响；同时，本文分别从零部件企业和汽车企业的角度来研究客户关系与本土零部件企业能力提升之间的关系。本文试图回答四个问题，第一，不同类型的本土零部件企业的客户关系有何特征差异?第二，本土零部件企业在拓展新的客户过程中，如何进行能力提升?第三，合资品牌汽车企业如何促进本土零部件企业进行能力提升?第四，哪些因素推动本土零部件企业率先提升管理能力? 针对第一个问题，运用社会网络分析发现，我国汽车集团企业下属的零部件企业以配套集团内部生产为主；而民营零部件企业的客户关系网络则更加多样。 针对第二个问题，本文对福耀集团进行了单案例分析，依据动态能力理论，发现企业在拓展客户关系的同时采取了能力拓展、能力更新的策略；此外，建立长期紧密合作的客户关系是企业能力提升的重要路径。 针对第三个问题，本文首先以一汽-大众与五家零部件供应商为分析对象，研究了一汽-大众促进供应商的能力提升的路径；然后，根据上市公司数据验证了合资和外资汽车企业客户对于本土零部件企业的研发活动的影响。研究发现，与合资和外资汽车企业的客户关系有利于本土零部件企业提升质量管理能力、研发设计能力、市场拓展能力，并且推动企业加大研发投入，获得更好的研发绩效和财务绩效。 针对第四个问题，本文以“规模以上工业企业数据库”中的汽车和零部件企业为样本，识别了海外客户、合资对于企业采纳国际质量管理体系的影响。研究发现，有海外客户、外资参股的企业更可能率先实施管理能力提升活动。 本文的创新点有三个方面：第一，总结了本土零部件企业的客户关系特征；第二，识别了基于客户关系拓展的能力提升机制；第三，识别了海外客户、外资参股对于本土企业管理能力提升的促进作用。 关键词：本土企业；汽车零部件；客户关系；能力提升；市场开放

 Some of previous studies have described that with the entry of foreign capital, it will destroy the local auto component industry in developing countries. However, some local auto component suppliers in China have built fairly good market competitiveness under the condition of gradual market liberalization. These firms have achieved capability upgrading by developing customer relationships. This phenomenon provides us a valuable research opportunity to reveal and identify the capability upgrading mechanisms of local firms. This study aims to investigate the impact and mechanism of market liberalization on the customer relationship characteristics, and capability upgrading of Chinese local auto component suppliers. This study analyzes the impact of joint venture policy and component localization policy on auto component suppliers; meanwhile, this study investigates the relationship between customer relationship and capability upgrading of local auto component suppliers from the perspective of auto component suppliers and automobile enterprises respectively. In detail, this study addresses four research questions. First, what are the characteristics of customer relationship of local auto component suppliers in China? Second, how to upgrade its capability while expanding new customers? Third, how does joint venture brand automobile enterprises promote capability upgrading of local auto component suppliers? Fourth, what are the driving factors of local auto component suppliers to take the lead in improving their management capability? For the first research question, this study uses social network analysis method, and finds that the state-owned auto component suppliers mainly supply internal customers; while private auto component suppliers' customer relationship network is more diverse. To address the second research question, this study selects Fuyao Group to carry out a single case study. Drawing on dynamic capability theory, it is found that while expanding new customers, Fuyao Group adopts capacity expansion strategy and capacity renewal strategy to upgrade capability; further, long-term and cooperative customer relationship is one of important mechanisms of capability upgrading. To address the third research question, firstly, this study investigates five auto component suppliers of FAW-Volkswagen, specifically analyses how FAW-Volkswagen facilitates the capability upgrading of auto component suppliers; Secondly, based on the information about listed auto component enterprises in China, this study investigates the impact and mechanism of joint venture automobile enterprises on R&D activities of local auto component suppliers. This study finds that forming customer relationship with joint venture automobile enterprises is conducive to the upgrading of quality management capability, R&D capability, and market expansion capability of local auto component suppliers; and promotes the suppliers to increase investment in R&D, to achieve better R&D performance and financial performance. To address the fourth research question, based on the “all above-scale industrial enterprise data base”, this study identifies the impact of international buyers, foreign capital participation on local auto component suppliers' adoption of international quality management system. This study finds that local auto component suppliers with international buyers and foreign ownership are more likely to take the lead in adopting management capability upgrading activities. There are three theoretical contributions. First, this study summarizes the customer relationship characteristics of local auto component suppliers in China. Second, this study identifies a customer relationship-led path of capability upgrading mechanism. Third, this study points out the importance of managerial capability and its antecedents, that international customer and foreign capital accelerate the managerial capability upgrading of local auto component suppliers. Key words: Local firms; Auto component industry; Customer relationship; Capability upgrading; Market liberalization