Beijing – On February 18, Daimler and its Chinese partner Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. held a festive ceremony to celebrate the reception of the business license for the joint venture Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. To commemorate this event, the partners unveiled a plaque in Beijing bearing the official name of the joint venture, which will operate from the Foton Auman facility in Beijing’s Huairou district.

“By founding BFDA, we have taken another step forward in the global growth strategy of Daimler Trucks, as well as the local expansion of our product portfolio in China: Our 50 percent stake in Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive will enable us to play a major role in the Chinese truck market and give us access to the attractive volume segment,” stated Andreas Renschler, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses. “With this joint venture now fully operational, we’re sending out a clear signal that we deliver on what we promise in developing Daimler Trucks’ worldwide strategy.”

“The establishment of the joint venture between Daimler Trucks and Beiqi Foton lifts the longstanding association between Daimler and BAIC here in China to a new level, and will greatly strengthen our strategic and operational cooperation,” said Xu Heyi, Chairman of Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC), Foton’s biggest shareholder.