“Everybody here at the IAA is excited to have so many Chinese brands here,” said Peter Fintl, vice president of technology and innovation at Capgemini Engineering.
He told Xinhua that the professionalism of Chinese brands impressed visitors a lot, just as the way these companies build their brands and products.
This year, around 41 percent of exhibitors at the show are from Asia.
BYD, China’s leading new-energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, is unveiling a full range of electric passenger cars to consumers in Munich.
“We are delighted to bring six of our latest NEV models to IAA, giving customers greater choices for eMobility,” said Michael Shu, managing director of BYD Europe.
Another Chinese EV maker, Leapmotor, made its debut at the auto show, showcasing its latest models.
“In the next two years, Leapmotor will introduce five globally-oriented products … offering intelligent mobility experiences to automotive consumers worldwide,” said Leapmotor CEO Zhu Jiangming.
This year at the IAA Mobility, China’s EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) presented a new lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery named “Shenxing”. This allows for “superfast charging capable of delivering 400 kilometers of driving range with a 10-minute charge.”
This new technology aims to provide lower-cost vehicle batteries, and make fast-charging technologies more affordable to consumers, CATL cell design engineer Gao Pengfei said.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius said that it’s “an absolutely natural development” for Chinese brands to try their luck in international markets as they are established in the domestic market.
In the past few years, China’s automotive industry has been strongly innovative and competitive, and this is driving the rapid development of the automotive industry, Kaellenius said.
China’s auto industry is “further ahead in the electric transition and becoming increasingly innovative,” Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
Almost 750 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions are present at this year’s IAA, which runs from Sept. 5 to Sept. 10 in the southern German city of Munich
Roundup: Dutch, Chinese explore potentials for agricultural cooperation
THE HAGUE, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — The provinces of South Holland, the Netherlands, and Shandong, China, have held here a matchmaking event for enterprises from both sides to bolster agricultural ties and foster mutual growth.
Some 200 representatives, including Meindert Stolk, vice governor of South Holland, Chen Ping, vice governor of Shandong, and entrepreneurs from both countries, attended the event held on Friday.
In his address, Stolk highlighted that Shandong is renowned in China for its agriculture, particularly in the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, aquaculture and livestock, while the Netherlands is the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products.
South Holland has significant advantages in modern greenhouse technology and horticulture industry clusters, and there is ample room for further deepening agricultural cooperation between the two regions, he said.
For his part, Chen noted that last year marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands.
Over the past five decades, cooperation in agriculture between Shandong and the Netherlands has continually deepened, with successful mechanisms for collaboration established in areas such as agricultural machinery, agricultural product trade and investment, he said.
Chen expressed hope that the matchmaking event would serve as an opportunity for both sides to strengthen cooperation in various domains, including infrastructure, technological innovation, trade and investment.
During the subsequent ceremony, Sino-Dutch businesses signed several agricultural cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding.
Tjerk Opmeer, director of the International Department at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, emphasized the “longstanding friendly relations” between the Netherlands and Shandong.
“At this moment, we have around 80 Dutch companies investing in Shandong and more than 40 Shandong companies establishing their business in the Netherlands,” he said. “So cooperation among our companies cover a wide range of industries such as agriculture, water management, health care, new energy, maritime, logistics, advanced manufacturing, etc.”
Opmeer stressed that China and the Netherlands are both major producers and exporters of agricultural products.
Bilateral collaboration in areas such as vegetable seed breeding, greenhouse technology, dairy products, agricultural robotics and refrigeration technology has a long history, he said. “It’s clear that our economies are highly compatible and complementary.”
Gert Dral, the executive advisory board member of Dutch Greenhouse Delta, a foundation dedicated to promoting Dutch agricultural technology worldwide, said that his organization is committed to offering a full industry chain collaboration, ranging from seeds to greenhouse design and construction.
China is their most prioritized market globally, and they are eagerly looking forward to collaborating with Chinese partners, said Dral.
The long-standing relationship between the Netherlands and China is a very good base for cooperation, he told Xinhua. “I see a lot of opportunities, because there is a huge demand on Chinese side for better, safe, healthy food, increase of volumes, and other chances. We can provide technology, experience … so, there are very good conditions for further cooperation.”
During the event, representatives from Sino-Dutch businesses took the stage to introduce their companies, discuss development plans, and explore potential areas for mutual cooperation.