(Yicai) Sept. 20 -- The automotive industries in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are highly complementary and offer a massive opportunity for partnerships, a Chinese official said at the recent China-ASEAN Automotive Industry Cooperation and Development Forum.

Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other ASEAN member states have invested a lot to support the transformation and development of vehicle electrification, attracting Chinese new energy vehicle makers to build plants, procure, and sell in the region, said Wang Liping, director general of the Asian affairs department in China's commerce ministry.

ASEAN has become the region where overseas investments made by Chinese automakers are the most highly concentrated, Wang said at the forum, which was held in Nanning in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

China will help companies on wither sides to strengthen investment in NEVs and deepen cooperation in the sector and related supply chains, Wang added. Chinese firms will collaborate in areas such as key battery raw materials and chips to help with the transformation and upgrade of ASEAN's auto industry, he pointed out.

China and ASEAN will make further good use of exhibitions, cross-border e-commerce platforms, and other means to expand sales channels, Wang said.

China exported 437,000 cars to ASEAN markets last year, up 83 percent from a year earlier, accounting for 13 percent of its total auto exports, according to Wang. Its exports of vehicle parts and components to the region rose 17.6 percent to USD7.9 billion, equal to 9.8 percent of its exports of such products, Wang noted, adding that sales of electric vehicles in ASEAN may exceed 70,000 units this year.

Thailand imported about 10,000 EVs from China in 2022, with that jumping to 35,000 in the first half of this year, said an official from Thailand’s industry ministry. The country will go on importing more EVs from China and seeks to further enhance the partnership with the Chinese auto sector, the person added.

According to a China Central Television report, EV sales in Thailand account for more than 60 percent of the total in ASEAN.

China’s Chery Automobile, Hozon Auto, and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group, or JAC Motors, have set up plants in Thailand, while Changan Automobile, Geely Holding Group, and many other leading auto manufacturers have set out plans to build factories in the country.

Editor: Martin Kadiev