The Diplomat
The Spain-China Council Foundation (FCEC) celebrates from today until Friday the fourteenth edition of its Future Chinese Leaders visitor program, after a four-year hiatus forced by the pandemic and its mobility restrictions.
Since its launch in 2006, more than one hundred Chinese professionals from various sectors have visited Spain for professional stays that include visits, round tables and networking events, according to the Consejo Foundation in a press release.
In its 2023 edition, the program will be dedicated to transportation and mobility, a sector in which, according to the FCEC, “China is rapidly establishing itself as one of the global leaders.” According to data from the China Passenger Vehicle Association, in the first eight months of 2023, Chinese car exports grew by 72% year-on-year, to 2.3 million units, a quarter in the electric segment. . In the last five years, according to this same association, imports of Chinese cars into the European Union have multiplied by four.
This dominant position also occurs in the battery sector. According to data from the South Korean consulting firm SNE Research, Chinese manufacturers accounted for 60% of global production of batteries for electric cars in 2022. The country is also advancing rapidly in paradigms such as autonomous driving or shared mobility.
Participants in the program are Cecilia Yu, head of supplier operations at Li Auto, one of the leading Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers; Sun Lei, vice president of ONTIME Mobility, the GAC group’s smart mobility platform that develops robotaxis operations, autonomous driving solutions and travel services; Zhang Shasha, Head of International Cooperation at Deqing Power, a hydrogen battery manufacturer and automotive energy solutions provider; and Huang Fengnan, founder of Tranlution, a technology company specialized in battery swapping services for electric vehicles.
During their stay in Spain, participants will have the opportunity to meet with important actors linked to mobility. Component manufacturers such as Gestamp or Antolín, transport companies such as ALSA or Astara, employers’ associations such as Sernauto, or research centers such as INSIA will be among the scheduled visits. There will also be space for institutional meetings, such as a meeting with the acting State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ángeles Moreno Bau; or a meeting with representatives of ICEX Spain Exportation and Investment.
