Chinese companies to assemble trucks, buses in Pakistan

By APD writer Muhammad Sohail

**ISLAMABAD, Aug. 19 (APD) ** -- Two Chinese auto companies including Sinotruck Limited and Shanghai Shenlong Bus are to establish separate assembling units as well as spare parts manufacturing units in Pakistan, local auto manufacturers said Saturday.

An official from the Pakistan Association of Auto Parts and Accessories Manufacturers Association (Paapam) said that a 10-member visiting delegation from the Sinotruck Limited had negotiations with their possible local partners and expressed their interest in establishing assembling units in Pakistan.

“Sinotruck has also planned to utilize Pakistani skills and labor in the production of auto parts for their trucks,” said Wang Haotao, the leader of the delegation.

Sinotruck has already exported 2,400 completely built-up trucks to Pakistan, and they decided to establish an assembling unit due to the rising demand for their vehicles in Pakistan.

According to Wang, Sinotruck produces over 200,000 units per annum in China.

Mashood Ali Khan, Chairman of Paapam, briefed the Chinese delegates about the growing auto industry of Pakistan and China’s growing involvement in the production of motorcycles, cars, buses, and trucks, and also in the production of their auto parts.

In another development, Shanghai Shenlong Bus in collaboration with Pakistan’s local bus manufacturer Malik Enterprises and government of the country’s southern province of Sindh will also start a plant at the International Special Economic Zone to meet the local needs.

Malik Enterprises is already importing buses from Shenlong and will import 110 buses for two public transport projects for Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi.

An official from the Malik Enterprises claimed that this was the first time that large buses fitted with Euro II- compliant technology were being brought into Pakistan.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)