China's push into Australia continues.
Following news that Chery intends setting up a R&D operation in Australia comes official word that Dong Feng will send a delegation of high ranking officials Downunder in July to eye up opportunities in the land of Kangaroos and Koalas.
High on the list of Dong Feng's priorities is part sourcing and possible joint ventures with component suppliers. It is not known whether Dong Feng intends selling cars in the Australian market but it is eying a push into potentially lucrative export markets early next decade as part of an expansion program outlined at the recent Shanghai auto show, where it unveiled a host of new models, including its Fengshen sedan.
“Dong Feng are very keen to develop strategic partnerships with our auto industry for component supply,” said Australia's trade minister Simon Crean following a visit to the Chinese car maker's headquarters in Wuhan, China.
Dong Feng, which translates as East Wind in English, was founded in 1968. It is based in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Provence and operates joint ventures with Citroen-Peugeot, Honda, Nissan and Cummins. It has become the second-largest automobile manufacturer in China. The company made an IPO (initial public offering) in December 2005, but remains 70% owned by China's central government.
No comments:
Post a Comment