Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, met with Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG via video link on February 10.

Yin introduced Beijing's socio-economic development and congratulated Mercedes-Benz on its fruitful cooperation with Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC Group). He noted that Mercedes-Benz has witnessed and participated in the development of the automotive industry in Beijing and even China over the years, with its business enjoying good momentum in the city and expanding nationwide. Last year, Beijing's GRP reached 4.16 trillion yuan, ranking first in China in terms of per capita GRP. Robust technological innovation, steadily growing consumption and investment, and an improved business environment have created broader space for both sides to deepen cooperation. He expected Mercedes-Benz to have every confidence in China's market and further expand its production capacity in Beijing, as well as to ramp up the construction of its R&D center and produce more high-end models and new products locally. He also hoped that the illustrious carmaker could capitalize on Beijing's advantages in technology and human resources, as well as the industrial policies on intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs), to roll out more and better new energy products and accelerate the development of electrified and intelligent vehicles; and that it could expand the presence of the industrial and supply chains in and around Beijing and gradually increase the local supply capacity. He also stressed that the thriving of Mercedes-Benz in Beijing is the outcome of the long-term mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Germany. Therefore, it is hoped that the carmaker can, as always, continue to support the city's economic and social development and better promote China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation. To this end, Beijing will keep improving its business environment and fully serve the company's growth here.

Källenius hailed the huge potential of China's automotive market and Beijing's abundant technological and human resources as fertile ground for innovative development. He said that Mercedes-Benz will stand committed to the Chinese market and seize the huge opportunities arising from China's economic growth. To strengthen the core competitiveness of its products, it will work more closely with BAIC Group and invest more in R&D in Beijing to make the vehicles more electrified and intelligent. The company will play its role to contribute more to the mutually beneficial China-Germany and China-Europe cooperation.

Leaders of the municipal government, Xia Linmao, Jin Wei, and Zhao Lei, also attended the meeting.

(Written by: Fan Junsheng, Wu Hongli)