German auto executives highlight China's market, industrial chain advantages

Executives of German automobile giant Volkswagen have underscored the importance of the Chinese market for their company's strategy and the role of China's complete industrial chain in driving the group's development.

Oliver Blume, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, emphasized the innovation and competition in the Chinese market, noting that the group adjusted its strategy three to four years ago to do more business in China, for China, and now beyond China.

"To feel the energy and innovation, being part of the development in China is one part. Now, comparing with the competition is always positive. We can benefit [from] how the country is moving. We decided to switch our strategy three, four years ago to doing more business in China, for China, and now beyond China. And we are benefiting from the engineering power here in China and you can see the results already in our cars," Blume said.

Volkswagen has been expanding its business in China, including establishing its largest research and development center outside Germany, the Volkswagen Group China Technology Company in Hefei City of east China's Anhui Province.

"In Hefei, we built our biggest engineering center outside Germany. We invested over 3.5 billion euros. And up to now, we have around 4,000 engineers and software experts working there. We are the only international OEM with a complete, in China, developed technology stack," Blume said.

Ralf Brandstatter, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, explained why Hefei was chosen.

"Hefei is rich in talents. They have very good universities for engineering and also for technology and also the whole supply chain for EVs is available in Hefei. And this was our idea to make ourselves part of the ecosystem, which is so performing in China," said Brandstatter.

Brandstatter also highlighted the rapid growth of new energy vehicles in China and the country's potential as an export hub.

"The development for new energy vehicles in China was the fastest in comparison with all the other markets of the world. Chinese customers are so demanding when it comes to new technology. They want to try the latest technology and they want to experience all these digital new things in their cars. China becomes also an export hub. This is what we want to do with our 'In China, Beyond China' strategy now," he said.

German auto executives highlight China's market, industrial chain advantages

The death toll from Sunday's collision between two trains in Egypt's Giza governorate has risen to seven, with 112 others injured, Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population said.

The ministry said in a statement that 45 patients had been discharged after their conditions improved and they received the necessary treatment, while seven others were expected to be discharged soon. The remaining injured were continuing to receive treatment under medical observation.

The Chinese embassy in Egypt said no Chinese casualties have been reported so far.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said in another statement that 72 ambulances took part in rescue and evacuation operations, with the injured transferred to multiple hospitals in Giza and nearby Beni Suef governorate.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar ordered health facilities in both governorates to raise readiness and provide all necessary medical and emergency support to the injured, according to the statement.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said in a social media post that he was closely following developments, extended his condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Sisi said he had directed state agencies to provide medical care, swiftly investigate the accident, and hold anyone found responsible for negligence accountable.

The Egyptian National Railways Authority said in an earlier statement that the accident occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations when a train on the Giza-Fayoum route hit the rear of another on the Cairo-Aswan route.

Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to clear the site and move the remaining carriages to restore services in both directions as quickly as possible, the authority said.

Egypt's railway network has long faced problems of outdated equipment and poor management, leading to frequent accidents. The country's deadliest rail disaster occurred in 2002, when a fire on a Cairo-Luxor train in Giza's Ayyat district killed over 380 people.

Death toll from Egypt's train collision rises to 7, with 112 injured