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2007 was another phenomenal year for Chinese Auto Industry. Vehicle
sales in China
jumped more than 20 percent to 8.8 million units, despite slackening
sales in many other markets in the world. China
was again the second largest consumer of new vehicles behind US and the
third largest producer of vehicles next only to US and Japan. While the increase of
the vehicles on the road enhances people's mobility and drives up the
economy, the impacts on oil consumption and environmental pollution pose
tremendous challenges to the nation's goal for sustainable growth, and
therefore have caused great concerns among policy makers and industry
leaders. In what direction should the Chinese auto industry head? Alternative
Fuels & Vehicles appears to be a very good direction.
On one hand, the Chinese auto industry is still very young compared to
those in North America or Europe or Japan. Chinese auto makers
still have a lot of work to do to enhance their technologies,
manufacturing and quality control processes to compete in the global
market even for the traditional vehicles. On the other hand, however,
Alternative Fuels and Vehicles is a new area even for the OEMs with
hundred-year histories. To a certain extent, Chinese auto makers are at
the same starting point with the big players in this arena. There is a
great opportunity for the Chinese auto industry to leap forward.
With that in mind, the Chinese government and many automakers are
investing heavily and working diligently to develop technologies to make
fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly cars. Moreover, in an attempt
to address the global energy security and environment concerns,
collaborative efforts between the Chinese governments and other governments
will also help in the endeavor. For example, in September 2007, the US
Department of Energy (DOE) and the China Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST) signed a five-year agreement to promote large-scale
deployment of next-generation efficiency vehicle technologies,
specifically focusing on electric, hybrid-electric, fuel cell, and
alternative fuel technologies.
The outlook is very promising. However, there are many questions that
need to be discussed and answered by policy makers, business leaders and
technical experts, for example:
* What are the most feasible alternative fuels and vehicles for
Chinese market in terms of availability and affordability?
* How will the technologies to make alternative fuels and vehicles be
developed? Who will play what role among central and local governments,
OEMs and other institutions?
* In the near future, what is the strategy to add large volume
alternative fuel vehicles to the market and how will the transition from
gasoline and diesel to new fuel vehicles be mediated once they have been
introduced into the market?
* What are the business relationship and collaborations, short term
and long term, in sight for the US and Chinese companies in
developing the fuel technologies and designing and/or manufacturing alternative
fuel vehicles?
To address these questions and to help businesses in both China and
US to explore opportunities, the Detroit Chinese Business Association
(DCBA) will host the 2008 China Forum on April 16, 2008 with special
focus on Alternative Fuels & Vehicles. High-ranking officials from
MOST, the China Ministry of Commence (MOFCOM), SAE China, US and China
auto executives and experts on this subject are invited to speak at the
forum to share their views and thoughts. Many Chinese government and auto
industry delegations and local companies in Metro Detroit area will be
invited to attend this event.
The DCBA 2008 China Forum is a great opportunity to meet the
policy-makers and executives from US and China, and to truly
understand the current developmental and strategic direction of Chinese
Auto Industry from viewpoints across the Pacific. Also, it presents the
rare chance to meet Chinese suppliers to discuss cutting-edge innovations
and exciting business ventures.
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