Chinese automaker to go for production in Russia
By Xie Yahong, Zhou Hanbo, Zhao Cheng, Qu Pei,
People’s Daily
A local
worker debugs the robot’s trajectory at a workshop of the Haval Factory in
Russia’s Tula Region.(Bai Yang, People’s Daily)
Tula Region, adjacent to the Russian capital
Moscow, is not only the hometown of the eminent writer Leo Tolstoy, but also
famous for its durable military products and sweet and delicious pies.
Now, China’s largest investment project in
Russia’s manufacturing sector, Haval Russia Automotive Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
(hereinafter referred to as “Haval Factory”), has been built in Tula.
At present, the first phase of the project has
been completed and will soon be put into operation, with an estimated annual
output of 80,000 automobiles and thousands of job opportunities to be created.
The factory’s local staff said that Haval SUV will become a new name card of
the city.
The national flags of China and Russia flying
in the wind, the eye-catching logo of “Havel” and the huge plant make up an
impressive scene at the Uzlovaya Industrial Park, which is more than 30
kilometers away from the capital of Tula.
Dong Xueyong, director of the manufacturing
department of the Haval Factory, said that the factory, covering an area of
more than 200 hectares, is the largest investment project between the two
countries in the manufacturing sector.
While going overseas, China’s Great Wall Motor
Company Limited (GWM), a major SUV maker and parent company of Haval, reached
an intent of cooperation with the Tula Region Government that enjoys advantageous
geographical location.
After the two sides signed an investment
agreement in May 2014 witnessed by the heads of state of China and Russia, the
project entered rapid development.
According to the agreement, GWM would invest
and build the Haval Factory, which mainly produces Haval SUVs, and would invest
$500 million in the first phase of the project.
Zhang Junxue, vice president of GWM and general
manager of the Haval Factory, said that all production stages including
pressing, welding, painting and integrated assembly are finished at the
factory. It indicates GWM’s resolution to take root in the region.
Sergey Artemyev, head of the investment
department of Tula Region Development Corporation, said the factory, the
largest foreign investment project to date in Tula, will bring thousands of job
opportunities and drive up tax revenue, and therefore they will spare no
efforts to support it.
Local media commented that the factory would
allow Russian people an access to more cost-effective vehicles in the future.
The local government has issued a package of
preferential policies for the factory including tax and fee reduction and
exemption, and provided one-stop customs service. Alexey Dyumin,
governor of Tula Region, supervised the project in person.
At the peak time of the factory construction,
all of the 300 engineering machineries of the region were operating at the
project site. So far, many of the infrastructure construction projects have
been completed.
At a recent rollout ceremony, Dyumin tested a
vehicle that was produced during the trail operation. He gave a high comment on
the performance of the car, saying that he would be the first customer when the
model hits the market.
At present, the factory hires over 800
employees and 90 percent of them are locals. Dong introduced that as Tula had
no auto industry before, the factory has sent staffs on key positions, such as
workshop leaders to China for training. And those who acquired professional
skills in China would pass on their knowledge to the others when they went back
home. This mode has worked very well.
“The workers are studying very hard and are
vigorous in the work, which has facilitated the smooth operation of the
factory,” Dong said.
Olga Belevtseva, vice mayor of Uzlovaya, where
the Haval Factory is located, said Haval not only employed a large number of
local workers, but also renovated local school buildings, doing a lot to
fulfill its social responsibility and provide public welfare benefits.
“All our citizens are in high spirits as the
construction of the factory progresses day by day. The factory will bring
encouraging changes to our lives and guarantee the prosperity and development
of our city,” said the vice mayor.
Tula Region enjoys strong industrial strength,
but it also needs to upgrade such industries as chemical fertilizer
manufacturing, chemical engineering, and traditional handicrafts.
The Tula Region Government hopes that the
construction of the Haval factory will drive the development of its automobile
industry. Now, the government is actively participating in various automobile
exhibitions and engaging in cooperation discussions with automobile companies.
The automotive industry will be Tula’s new growth point of fiscal revenue, said
Artemyev.
Chinese automaker to go for production in Russia
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