Leading European and Chinese automakers have pledged to strengthen their cooperation at the Brussels Summit, where their association; Chinese Association Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) have inked a cooperation agreement.
Together, China and the EU respectively the largest and the second largest in the world account for about half of global sales and production in the passenger cars segment. Although last year the Chinese car market shrank for the first time in the past 28 Years, sales still exceeded 28 million units, accounting for roughly 30% of total global sales.
The European car market spurred by 0.1% last year. Although this increase is very modest, it is the fifth consecutive year of growth. With a total of 15.2 Million cars registered the European Union accounts for more than 19% of the global car market holdings, after China.
“The 15 members of ACEA are true international companies with a strong presence in China and other parts of the world, and China is also the second largest export destination for passenger cars in the EU,” said Erik Jonnaert, Secretary General of ACEA. “That is why we strongly consider in strengthening the connections amid our associations.”
Executive Vice President of CAAM, Dong Yang said, “For the Chinese auto industry to prosper, we need to reinforce our standards, policies, and regulations, which is why we are looking for widespread international cooperation to additionally align our industry with the market. Our cooperation with ACEA is extremely vital as it enables us to learn from the renowned European standardization and regulation system, which will be of mutual advantage to the European automotive industry and China.”
The associations also intend to unite globally to promote the international synchronization of automotive standards and regulations. The cooperation agreement was inked in the presence of representatives of the European Commission and the Chinese mission to the EU.