Global Automotive Forum in Chengdu Coming

　　The Global Automotive Forum has been initiated by the China Committee for Automotive Exhibitions, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Automotive Industry Committee and Chengdu Municipal Government. Under the theme “Shaping the future of an industry in transition”, the inaugural meeting of the Global Automotive Forum will be held in Chengdu, China on September 16-17, 2010. Why do organizers appoint Chengdu as the host city of the Global Automotive Forum? What the scale of the Forum will be? Our journalists interviewed Mr. Xia Wang, the Secretary-General of the Forum, to answers those questions.

　　Why Forum?

　　Mr. Xia Wang expressed that China’s accession to the status of number one automotive market in the world is one of the most striking illustrations of the structural changes happening in the automotive sector at the global level. Over-capacity in many parts of the world, major modifications in consumers’ expectations and behavior, energy and climate change pressures, the accelerating pace of urbanization throughout the world are among the many challenges that the industry is confronting. These are enduring challenges that will take years and even decades to address but which are accentuated by the impact of the global economic crisis.

　　There exist today quite a number of gatherings for automotive executives at the regional level. There is, however, no platform bringing together all the key players from the industry at the global level, along with policy-makers, regulators, representatives of key sectors relevant for the future of the industry, and leading technologists and experts. Global Automotive Forum is to fill a vacuum and a growing need.

　　“Currently, various existing domestic auto forums are doing quite well”, Mr. Wang said, “The reason why this forum is called “global automotive forum” is that we aim at organizing a global forum. Half of the participants will come from abroad, including well-known economists, financier, entrepreneurs, and key leaders of international organizations. We are creating such a global platform for international experts and multinational companies.”

　　With the global perspective, the forum will attract highly international participation. Based in China, the forum will significantly impact China’s automotive sector. Mr. Wang claimed that China should seize the opportunities to show Chinese features and to develop China’s automotive industry during the transition in global automotive industry. Nowadays, China is transforming from a major auto manufacturing country to a power nation of auto industry. We can use this opportunity to improve Chinese auto companies, to think about the development of Chinese companies at the global level, and to make domestic companies international.

　　How to organize the forum?

　　Mr. Wang claimed that the Global Automotive Forum will be the landmark annual platform for the automotive industry worldwide. The discussions cover the structural changes and the challenges facing the automotive sector worldwide, latest information on relevant technological, economic, societal and trade developments impacting on the industry, as well as the evolution of markets for the automotive industry in the different regions of the world. The forum is to provide participants on new insights on issues impacting the industry and on technological developments relevant to the future of the industry. The forum will discuss policy developments having an impact on the automotive sector, especially regarding climate change and international or bilateral trade issues.

　　Hot topics, like India emerging as one of the future stars in automotive industry, will be discussed in detail in the forum.

　　For organizing the best, the most international and professional forum, the inaugural meeting of the forum will bring together top executives from key automotive manufacturers (OEMs) from China and around the world, government officials and regulators from China and foreign governments, senior executives from financial institutions, and leading experts on the automotive sector and on issues related to the automotive sector, targeting to generate a productive and outcome-oriented exchange of views for facing the challenges in the aftermath of crisis.

　　In terms of the theme of the inaugural meeting, the reason of using “Shaping the Future of An Industry in Transition” is that our auto industry is in the transition, especially the structural changes and changelings facing the automotive sector worldwide, Mr. Wang explained.

　　Many manufacturing countries are recovering from the financial crisis. The growth of developing countries, like China and India, significantly impact the structure of auto industry. Meanwhile, with the development of new energy vehicles, technology innovation brings both challenges and opportunities. The change of industrial environment and related factors are influencing the future of auto industry considerably. How to keep advantages in the transition is the hot topic of this years’ discussion.

　　Why Chengdu City？

　　Why is Chengdu selected as the host city of Global Automotive Forum inaugural meeting? Mr. Wang said that this forum is unlike other forums, which are normally held in Beijing or Shanghai. World-level forums are moving from Beijing/Shanghai and east coastal regions to middle-west China.

　　Mr. Wang mentioned four reasons: first, Chengdu is the fourth biggest city in terms of population and the third biggest city of private car ownership in the country, as well as the host city of Chengdu automotive exhibition, one of the four biggest auto shows in China. Second, without dominant auto companies in Chengdu, it is more neutral in terms of auto industry. Hence, it will provide more comfortable atmosphere to participants. Third, the objective of becoming global garden city is accord with the position of world level forum. Moreover, Chengdu government gives a great support to the forum. Fourth, the new convention center equipped with high technology fully meets the needs of hosting the world-level forum. Thus, Chengdu is full-fledged to host the Global Automotive Forum.

　　The Global Automotive Forum will be in cooperation with the well-known Strategic Advisory firm Smadja & Associates founded by Mr. Claude Smadja, ex-Managing Director of World Economic Forum, we are fully convinced that the Global Automotive Forum will become the signature forum for the automotive industry worldwide.

　　In 2010, the investment on transportation fixed assets in Chengdu has reached ￥20 billion. As a result, multilevel traffic by water, ground and air will be considerably improved. This makes the poor ancient transportation condition – called the "hard roads in Shu” – very much a thing of the past. In terms of railways, the main trunk lines are nine subways and light rail lines, as well as interurban railways. These are interlaced, forming the railway network of Chengdu, which also contains four arterial railway lines: Baoji-Chengdu, Chengdu-Chongqing, Chengdu-Kunming and Chengdu-Dazhou. There are three national highways through Chengdu including the Sichuan-Shanxi highway, Sichuan-Tibet highway and Sichuan-Yunnan highway, as well as eight primary routes consisting of the Chengdu-Chongqing freeway, Chengdu-Mianyang freeway, Chengdu-Leshan freeway, Chengdu-Ya’an freeway, Chengdu-Dazhou freeway, Chengdu-Dujiangyan freeway and surrounding urban freeway. Chengdu Shuangliu international airport boasts its own international airline which connects with the following cities: Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, London, New York, Brussels and Amsterdam.

    As the primary communication center in the southwest of China and the hub of the optical fiber trunk network, Chengdu hosts communication businesses linking 180 countries and areas, as well as 600 cities. The Chengdu information port has also been built to facilitate the opening of the Chengdu internet data center and Chengdu internet exchange center. Chengdu is also regarded as a rare metropolis which embraces abundant water resources and sufficient renewable electrical power.

    With enormous technological potential, comprehensive innovation and commercial capacity, Chengdu is the top ranked commercial center in the southwest region. There are five key national laboratories, three state-level engineering technology centers, 2500 institutions of science research and technological development, and 20 colleges and universities. As Chengdu embraces 27 level three first-class hospitals and level three specialty hospitals, the number and expertise of medical facilities in the city keep it well up with the best in China. There are also first rate library, museum, trade and business, bank, supermarket and residential centers in Chengdu. In 2007, Chengdu was ranked into “Top 10 Happiest Chinese Cities”.