Bangkok--18 Oct--whiz communication
FOTON Motor, China's No.1 commercial vehicle producer and exporter, has signed international economic cooperation projects with ASEAN countries during the 13th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held in Guangxi recently, which includes production startup for a new 1-ton pickup truck model at Bangchan General Assembly Co. Ltd. (BAGC) in November.
At the CAEXPO, Mr. Chang Rui, Vice President of Foton Motor Group, signed the MOU on Intelligent Manufacturing Project in Thailand with Narongrat Thurasarn, Vice President of Bangchan General Assembly Co. Ltd. (BGAC), heralding that FOTON joined hands with BGAC on an intelligent manufacturing cooperation project.
"The signing of this contract shows that FOTON is making innovation and achieving new breakthrough in the Asia-Pacific market through intelligent manufacturing and industrial capacity cooperation at the call of China's national 'Belt and Road' initiative," he said.
In November 2016, The FOTON Thailand Plant will come into operation, and FOTON's pickups assembled and manufactured in Thailand will roll off the line. In the future, Thailand will supply FOTON pickups to the rest of ASEAN and other right-hand-drive countries.
"This not only marks a milestone in FOTON's operations in Thailand, but also embodies the results of the cooperation between Chinese independent auto brands and ASEAN countries," Mr. Chang added.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. Over the past 25 years, China and ASEAN have kept expanding the range of cooperation and achieved a leap in cooperation, making a remarkable contribution to regional peace, stability and prosperity.
Mr. Zhang Gaoli, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of CAEXPO 2016. He noted that the "Belt and Road" initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping is a major strategic idea of building a community of interest, fate and responsibility.
"The theme of CAEXPO 2016 is 'Constructing the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, building a Closer China-ASEAN Community of Fate'. China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to promote the constant development of China-ASEAN relations, deepen the practical cooperation between the two sides in a wide range of fields, speed up the construction of the China-ASEAN community of fate, and bring practical benefits to the people on both sides," he said.
ASEAN is the fastest-growing overseas market of FOTON. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of FOTON, which has been involved with more than 12 years of overseas product development, China's largest commercial vehicle brand has established a marketing network in most ASEAN countries and built plants in some ASEAN countries, making a remarkable contribution to local economic development.
With the deepening of the national strategy of "the Belt and Road", FOTON will further promote China-ASEAN cooperation in intelligent manufacturing, intelligent product investment and regional industrial capacity cooperation, construct a cross-border industry chain, promote the innovation and upgrading of regional industrial and industrial capacity cooperation through intelligent manufacturing, and contribute the power of an independent brand to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN to write the magnificent blueprint of the "Maritime Silk Road".