The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is a "fantastic platform" that demonstrates China's openness to international cooperation, said Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen Group, expressing his country's determination to stay for the long haul in the country that has become a global automotive power and the world's electric vehicle (EV) leader.
He made the remarks while talking to China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the opening day of this year's CIIE, taking place from Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai.
Volkswagen, one of the earliest international car companies to enter China and a key player in China's automotive market, has participated in every edition of the CIIE since the expo's launch in 2018.
"I'm looking very much forward to coming back to the CIIE. I think it's a fantastic platform to demonstrate how open is China for partnering around the world. And for me, this event is also to have a great overview of the innovations and being developed here in the country. For us, Volkswagen Group, it is also a huge opportunity to show what we are doing. We worked hard during the last years. And now we are entering in a new era for Volkswagen Group here in China," said Blume.
Blume, who was recently reappointed CEO of Volkswagen Group for a new term until 2030, also shared his company's strategy on maintaining competitiveness in China's fierce EV race and its ambitious plans for the future.
"We kicked off three years ago our new China strategy called 'In China, for China.' We expanded our engineering activities now with our engineering center in Hefei. Then we expanded our partnering here in China, for example, with Xpeng and Horizon Robotics. Being still very successful in the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) segment in China with 22 percent of market share, now we want to attack the NEV (New Energy Vehicle) segment and bring to the market up to 2027, 30 new models and by 2030, 50 new models in the segment, all designed here in China for the expectations of our Chinese customers," said Blume.
The CEO praised the rapid development of Chinese car companies, saying that Volkwagen will embrace the fiercely competitive environment.
"First of all, I want to say that I'm honoring how the Chinese automotive industry has developed. Now, we have great competitors here in the market, and competition at the end is very positive, because you have to be better when you have good competition. And at the end, competition is positive for innovation, and innovation is positive for customers. The world in the automotive industry has changed because of all these new innovations. And you can't do everything by your own. And therefore, I think it's obvious to look for the best partners, and at the end to combine their knowledge with your own experience to engineer the best product for the customers," said Blume.
CIIE demonstrates China's openness to int'l cooperation: Volkswagen CEO
