DaimlerChrysler AG's sale of its US arm will not affect its
businesses in China, the world's second-biggest vehicle market,
according to the automaker's Northeast Asian operation.?
"China will continue to be an important market for Daimler and
Chrysler, and we are continuing to move forward with all our
projects," Trevor Hale, the Beijing-based spokesman for
DaimlerChrysler Northeast Asia, told China Daily.
Hale's remark refutes speculation that some of Chrysler's China
plans will be suspended as a result of DaimlerChrysler's
US$7.4-billion deal on Monday to sell 80.1 percent stakes of
Chrysler Group, its troubled US arm, to the private equity group
Cerberus Capital Management. The automaker will be renamed Daimler
AG in the fall.
Chrysler agreed with China's Chery Automobile Co in January to
make cars in China under the Dodge brand for the US and European
markets.
"It is still in the process of being approved by (Chinese)
regulators," said Jin Yibo, a spokesman for Chery based in east
China's Anhui Province, denying the project has run aground.
Last month, Chrysler announced that the Dodge Caravan minivan
will be assembled at the end of this year at a joint venture
between Fujian Automotive Industry Corp and Japan's Mitsubishi
Motors in coastal Fujian Province.
It will also bring a Sebring mid-sized sedan into
DaimlerChrysler's joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry
Corp later this year. The venture started producing the Chrysler
300C and new Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans last year.
Another source from DaimlerChrysler Northeast Asia said the
plans in Fujian and Beijing will be carried out according to
schedule.?
Yale Zhang, the Shanghai-based director of Greater China vehicle
forecasts for US auto consultancy CSM Worldwide Corp, said there's
no reason for Chrysler to slacken its pace in China.
"I believe Chrysler will beef up its efforts in China as this
market is too important to give up," Zhang said.
DaimlerChrysler is lagging behind its rivals, such as General
Motors, Volkswagen and Toyota, in China's fast-growing vehicle
market.
Sales of China-made vehicles grew by 21.46 percent year-on-year
to 2.93 million units in the first four months of this year,
according to data from China Association of Automobile
Manufacturers. Full-year sales are predicted to reach 8.5 million
units, up from 7.22 million units in 2006.
(China Daily May 17, 2007)