The FAW Jiefang (Qingdao) Commercial Vehicle R&D Institute in Laoshan district, Qingdao. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Qingdao Municipal Government held a signing ceremony for strategic cooperation with China FAW Group and the unveiling ceremony of the FAW Jiefang (Qingdao) Commercial Vehicle R&D Institute on June 28.

Zhao Haozhi, mayor of Qingdao, stated that China FAW Group is a proud national brand, and Qingdao has maintained a good cooperative relationship with the company, achieving fruitful cooperation results. The FAW Jiefang (Qingdao) Commercial Vehicle R&D Institute possesses leading domestic R&D capabilities in automotive electronics and intelligent connectivity and represents the highest level of complete vehicle R&D in FAW's commercial vehicle sector, marking a new milestone in their cooperation.

Qingdao currently regards the development of the automotive industry as crucial to the development of a modern industrial system and is fully committed to becoming a leading national hub for the new energy vehicle industry. It is hoped that with the unveiling of the R&D institute, Qingdao will deepen cooperation with FAW Group in areas such as key components, the R&D of intelligent connected vehicles, and other areas, aiming to achieve higher-level mutually beneficial development. Qingdao will continue to optimize its business environment to provide excellent services for the group's development in Qingdao, according to Zhao.

Qiu Xiandong, chairman of FAW, said that Qingdao boasts prominent geographical advantages, a favorable business environment, a robust economy, and a strong foundation for a rich and high-potential automotive industry. China FAW Group has always attached great importance to the development of enterprises based in Qingdao and the expansion of its business in the city, establishing a deep cooperative relationship with Qingdao.

The new R&D institute, located in Qingdao's Laoshan district, covers an area of 102,000 square meters and was put into operation on June 28. With a total investment of 1.2 billion yuan ($165 million), the institute will include a research and development building, trial production, and testing workshops covering over 70,000 sq m and equipped with more than 60 sets of cutting-edge equipment.