On March 29, Tang Liangzhi, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Chongqing met with Chen Anning, Vice President of Ford Motor Company, and President and CEO of Ford Motor (China) Company. They jointly attended the roll-out activity of luxury SUV Corsair, Lincoln’s first model made in China, in Chongqing. This is the first time for Lincoln vehicles to be produced outside North America.

Lincoln Corsair (Photo from Lincoln.com)

The roll-out of Lincoln’s first domestic model in Chongqing marks that the century-old famous automobile company Ford, the century-old Chinese brand Chang'an Automobile, and the century-old American luxury brand Lincoln have been deeply integrated into Chongqing. It isthe first time for Chongqing’s automobile industry to produce vehicles of an international luxury brand. This model has the highest value for single-vehicle among Chongqing-made vehicles. Therefore, this has a strong demonstration and leading role in propelling the optimization of Chongqing’s automobile product structure and upgrading of the industry and enhancing the market brand and influence.

Tang Liangzhi, on behalf of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, and Secretary Chen Miner, extended a sincere welcome to Chen Anning and his delegation. He said that in accordance with President Xi Jinping’s important instructions, Chongqing further coordinates and advances the epidemic prevention and control as well as economic and social development, implements the overall prevention and control strategy of “preventing import from outside and recurrence from inside”, and comprehensively furthers the resumption of work and production. Currently, Chongqing continues to show a positive trend in epidemic prevention and control and accelerates in restoring the order of production and living. The automobile sector is an important pillar industry in Chongqing. Despite the impact of the epidemic, it has maintained a long-term promising development trend. The CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Chongqing Municipal People’s Government attach great importance to the development of the automobile industry. A few days ago, a seminar on high-quality development of the automobile and motorcycle industry was specifically held to make specific arrangements. Now we seize the policy opportunities for national economic recovery, strategic opportunities for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle, opportunities of the era for industrial transformation and upgrading, and market opportunities created by the epidemic, to further the transformation and upgrading of the automobile industry and achieve high-quality development. Today, Lincoln’s first domestic model rolls off the production line in Chongqing, and we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations. We hope that Ford will take this opportunity to continue to deepen its long-term strategic cooperation with Chongqing, implement the consensus reached by both sides, expand and strengthen the Chongqing headquarters, ensure the smooth operation of the industrial chain, maintain the stability of the global supply chain, and gradually improve the local component supporting system. Together, we will boost the development of intelligent connected vehicles and electric vehicles. Chongqing will firmly support Chang'an Ford’s transformation and upgrading.

Chen Anning thanked the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee and Chongqing Municipal People’s Government for their long-term concern and support for Ford’s development in Chongqing. He said that Chongqing has a good development environment, a solid industrial foundation, and broad market space, and has made great efforts and achieved remarkable results in the transformation and upgrading of the automobile industry. In this outbreak, Chongqing has taken effective measures in prevention and control, and Chang'an Ford has resumed work and production efficiently, which has ensured the smooth roll-out of Lincoln’s first domestic model and strengthened Ford’s confidence in its development in Chongqing. We will grasp the development trend of the automobile industry, transform more innovative achievements in Chongqing, boost more mid- and high-end models to be produced in Chongqing, and join hands with Chongqing to realize high-quality development.

Chongqing Municipality leaders Wu Cunrong and Duan Chenggang, Zhu Huarong, President of Chang'an Automobile Company, and He Xiaoqing, Vice President of Ford Motor (China) Company also attended the activity. Participants in this activity also include relevant persons in charge of the relevant departments of Chongqing, Liangjiang New Area, Ford Motor, and Changan Automobile.