Shanghai to Host International Auto ShowThe 2001 Shanghai International Automobile Show, expected to be the largest of its kind ever held in China, is scheduled for December 9-16 in this east China metropolis.The show, organized by Hannover Fairs Ltd (HF) of Germany and the Dongfang International Advertisement Co. Ltd, will be held in the newly-built Shanghai International Exhibition Center, which was jointly funded by the Shanghai Pudong Land Development Co., the HF, Munich Fairs Co. and Dusseldorf Fairs Co. All major automobile competitors in the world, such as GM, Volkswagen, Audi, Daimler-Benz, BMW, Citroen, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Honda, are expected to attend the exposition. Sources at the HF said that Volkswagen and BMW will unveil their newest concept car models. The first-phase construction of the new exhibition center, in the Pudong District, is scheduled to be completed by September, with 65,000 sq m of exhibition floor space. The exhibition center, designed to be China's largest and most advanced exhibition venue, will have 250,000 sq m of exhibition floor space upon full completion. Business insiders said that the show comes at a time when China 's individual car purchasing power is getting stronger. Experts at Tongji University in Shanghai estimate that the market demand for cars in Shanghai and Beijing in 2008 will be 17 times higher than the present amount. The demand for automobiles in cities in central China will also see a big rise by 2006. The Chinese government is encouraging car purchase. The automobile industry will try to meet a target of 130 billion yuan of added value in 2005 to ensure China's goal of becoming a major world automobile production and sales center. |
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