Chery is open to cooperation with foreign automakers: Chairman

Shanghai September 25 (Gasgoo.com) Chery Auto usually keeps a low profile in the industry, while it has now become a major protagonist on the potential partner's market. Stimulated by China's burgeoning auto market, small automakers, such as Land Rover, Subaru, etc., all start thinking of local vehicle production, China Times reported Saturday.

Yin Tongyue, Chairman and General Manger of Chery, when asked for his opinion of cooperation with foreign auto enterprises at the ongoing Chengdu Auto Show, said as long as both partners can achieve mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, Chery is open to it, but only if Chery can enhance its own technical capability through the collaboration. Chery hopes to learn from others' strong points to offset its own weaknesses and to finally upgrade its brand.

"It's true that Chery has had a talk with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), but it's only a common communication between companies. As for investment and cooperation, we neither pursuit nor reject for the moment. Chery is looking forward to learning from all the companies, as well as close communication with some international automaker," Yin Tongyue told reporters.

"Chery has been in talks with JLR for a while, but JLR is inclined to find a OEM factory in China, Chery, however, hopes to develop a genuine cooperation with the latter, especially in production technology. Through the joint venture with JLR, Chery aims to better build its own brand. The discussion between the two is hence still in stalemate, and it's too early to say whether the cooperation agreement can be reached or not at last, a person close to Chery said.

Chery has also talked with Fiat, Chrysler and other foreign automakers about establishing joint ventures in China, but all came to nothing for various reasons, sources said.