On May 24, the SAIC Motor Tech Center located in Anting town, Jiading district of Shanghai welcomed a special guest -- Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The president inspected SAIC’s own brand cars, including automotive design, prototype trial-manufacturing and new energy vehicle testing. He praised the company’s innovative spirit in doing its best to catch up with high-level global industrial standards.

President Xi paid special attention to the R&D and production of SAIC’s own brand cars. He asked about the technical performance, cost performance and market recognition share of the company’s Roewe and MG series. He also examined several cars carefully, and even got into one and sat in the rear seat. He told the SAIC executives that the top leadership had decided that all government cars should be Chinese-make, calling on domestic carmakers to seize the opportunity to boost development of their own brand cars.

At SAIC’s powertrain laboratory, President Xi was briefed about the development of new energy cars. Over a period of four years, SAIC has developed its first plug-in hybrid car and built a lab that can simulate various driving conditions. These achievements attracted President Xi’s attention. He said whether technological R&D of new energy cars can reach a commanding height has become a focus of competition in the world auto industry.

The car industry has a large market, high technology content and delicate management, and developing new energy cars is the path Chinese carmakers must follow in order to gain a strong footing in the world, Xi emphasized. He urged SAIC to enhance R&D, carefully study the market, make full and flexible use of policies and develop products that meet various needs, thus realizing a strong growth of the new energy cars segment.

In response to President Xi’s recommendations and instructions, SAIC officials voiced their determination for the company to continue to be market-oriented, speed up independent innovation, build the company’s core competence and pursue scientific development. The company vowed to become a pioneer in the reform and opening up of the auto industry as well as a forerunner for the industry’s scientific development.