Representatives from the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit visit the Guangzhou Automobile Group in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on June 30, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ning Yuying)
Chinese new energy vehicles (NEV) are gaining popularity in Thailand, potentially paving the way for more Chinese automobile brands to enter the Thai market, according to Chanchai Pratheepwatanawong, chief reporter of Nation TV, Thailand. His comments came during a visit to Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), a prominent Chinese automobile company based in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.
In alignment with the Belt and Road Initiative, the Guangdong provincial government organized an economic and trade delegation to engage with business communities in ASEAN countries from June 23 to July 2. The aim was to foster trade and investment cooperation. On June 28, the delegation arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, with GAC Aion being the only automotive company to sign cooperation contracts with local businesses.
Representatives from the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit visit the GAC Aion Intelligent Ecological Factory in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on June 30, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ning Yuying)
During the visit, Nguyen Xuan Dan, chief of the News Department of Vietnam Parliament Television, had meaningful exchanges with GAC Aion personnel. He noted that Aion is on track to establish a headquarters for the Southeast Asian market in Thailand. "China has great potential for electric vehicle cooperation, especially in the Lancang-Mekong region. This headquarters will soon broaden the company's reach to other countries after its establishment, and we hope to see more Chinese NEVs appearing in the Southeast Asian market," said Nguyen.
Representatives from the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit visit the GAC Aion Intelligent Ecological Factory in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on June 30, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ning Yuying)
In recent years, China's NEV industry has developed rapidly. From January to May, China surpassed Japan in automobile exports, reaching nearly 1.76 million units, including 457,000 NEVs. China houses the world's largest NEV market and is at the forefront of new energy technologies worldwide.
After entering the Thai market, GAC Aion intends to use its Thai subsidiary as a Southeast Asian hub to boost its investments and initiate factory setups along the Lancang-Mekong River. This strategy aims to propel the NEV industry in the Lancang-Mekong region.
Representatives from the 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Media Summit visit the GAC Aion Intelligent Ecological Factory in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on June 30, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Ning Yuying)
The 2023 Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Media Summit took place in Beijing on June 27, attracting over 130 representatives from related departments and media outlets from the six Lancang-Mekong countries. The LMC media delegation, aiming to promote exchanges among the people of the six countries through media cooperation, and to narrate the Lancang-Mekong story more effectively, visited various locations in China, including local enterprises, industrial parks, and communities. The group toured Guangzhou Automobile Group on June 30.
