KAMNIK POD KRIMOM, Slovenia, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The first sales and technical center of Chinese automaker Dongfeng opened in central Slovenia on Wednesday.
Plan-net Avto, Slovenia's largest importer of electric vehicles (EV) from China and the official importer of Dongfeng cars, opened the center, introducing four new electric and three new petrol Dongfeng car models.
At the inauguration ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing said that Dongfeng Motor is a brand with a long history and outstanding technical strength and that Slovenia has a solid industrial and technological foundation.
"Slovenia is an important partner of China in the European Union," Wang said, adding that the Slovenian government and business community are interested in cooperating with Chinese electric car makers.
He expressed his appreciation for Slovenia's vote against the European Commission's proposal to raise tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs, noting that "tariffs are not the right way to resolve the differences."
CEO of Plan-net Avto Marko Femc said that China is the leading state in development of electric mobility.
European countries should consider inviting Chinese partners to collaborate in developing the sector through partnerships, Femc told Xinhua, noting that "tariffs are absolutely not the right way to go."
Dongfeng, which started selling its cars in Slovenia last year, plans to sell up to 800 cars this year and double or triple that number in the next five years, Xie Qian, the general manager of Dongfeng EU regional headquarter, told Xinhua.
Jernej Salecl, director general of the Directorate for Industry, Business and Internationalisation at the Ministry of Economy, said that "Chinese investment is very welcome in Slovenia".
"We see that the future of mobility belongs to China and we would like to be a great part of this future success," Salecl said.
