STORY: China on track to become world's largest auto exporter
DATELINE: June 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:19
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: ECONOMY/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of auto export related footage
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MILAN NEDELJKOVIC, Member of the board of management of BMW AG
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SUPAKIJ VISEDPAITOON, MG Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

STORYLINE:

China vehicle exports soared to 1.07 million units in the first quarter of 2023, the most in the world, outpacing Japan.

Nearly 1.76 million vehicles were exported in the first five months of this year, soaring 81.5 percent year on year.

In the same period, China's auto sales and output stood at 10.62 million units and 10.69 million units, respectively, both rising 11.1 percent from a year ago.

As one of the most dynamic and promising mobility markets in the world, China, in both terms of sales and production, is attractive to foreign auto companies.

German carmaker BMW has witnessed China's journey of becoming the world's most active automobile producer and market.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MILAN NEDELJKOVIC, Member of board of management of BMW AG
"We are now 20 years here in China and we started with a small assembly line. And over the 20 years, we have developed into a significant site here in Shenyang. Today, our plant in Shenyang (is) the largest production site worldwide, production network. Every third BMW being manufactured comes out of Shenyang.
The Chinese market is very strong. It's dynamic and it's resilient. So there is a significant opportunity for investments of foreign companies, which gives the win-win situation for both China and the investors."

As the world's largest new-energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales market, China's development in the sector has opened up new growth space for automakers.

China's leading automaker, Shanghai-based SAIC Motor, is seeing its new pure electric vehicles being shipped to Southeast Asia and Europe.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): SUPAKIJ VISEDPAITOON, MG Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
"MG4 (MG MULAN) was just launched last November in Thailand and it won good feedback from the media, from the customers. And people would like to own the MG4, because they have like a lot of unique selling points such as the rearview drive and such as a fun drive."

Chinese auto manufacturers exported 457,000 units of NEVs from January to May, an increase of 1.6 times over the same period last year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)