China to revive Australian auto industry: senator

[Australian] Minister for Trade Simon Crean and Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator Kim Carr are in China today to promote Australia's automotive industry to Chinese auto-manufacturing centres.

"China is a key market for the future of Australia's automotive industry," said Carr. "Australia has the auto design and engineering expertise – including new and green technologies – to play a lead role in the rapidly changing Chinese auto market."

Now the world's second-largest auto manufacturer, China is also the largest market for new passenger vehicles.

"We want to drive greater levels of cooperation between the auto sectors in Australia and China and help Australian companies to secure a bigger slice of the action," said Crean.

Two provinces, Anhui and Hubei, have experienced double-digit growth in production in the last year while auto hubs in other countries have declined due to global downturn in demand.