A 26-meter-long and about 30-ton monorail car developed by CRRC Puzhen Alstom Transportation System Co., Ltd. is crowded with visitors. It is the largest and most eye-catching exhibit at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention, which is being held from September 20 to 23 in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province.
As the guest of honor, France has introduced many leading enterprises and industry-leading products this year, once again demonstrating the strong will of China and France to deepen cooperation in advanced manufacturing. The convention has thus become an important platform for the two countries to explore future directions of cooperation and enhance mutual trust.
Alstom’s three innovative strategies of “green transportation”, “intelligent transportation” and “inclusive and healthier transportation” are highly compatible with the future direction of China’s railway transportation development, said Geng Ming, CEO of Alstom China.
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and the two countries have taken this opportunity to sign a series of agreements on new areas of cooperation, such as green development and artificial intelligence, and provide more opportunities for French companies to explore new growth points and areas of cooperation in the Chinese market,” Geng added.
Alstom Group currently has 11 joint ventures and employs nearly 10,000 people in China. These joint ventures have supplied more than 6,000 mainline rail vehicles, 1,530 electric locomotives, over 7,200 metro vehicles, and over 800 monorail vehicles to the growing Chinese rail market and overseas markets.
A series of green and low-carbon products showcased by Air Liquide Group also attracted many visitors. “China-France cooperation in manufacturing has a deep historical foundation. As a global manufacturing ‘factory’, China has strong production capacity and market demand, and the two countries have broad prospects for cooperation in intelligent manufacturing and green development,” said Gao Yinyan, head of Air Liquide China.
The global manufacturing industry is in a critical period of digitalization and green transformation, and intelligent manufacturing and sustainable development have become the main direction of the industry in the future. “We attach great importance to our cooperation with China in the field of manufacturing, especially in high-tech sectors such as rail transportation, green energy and urban development. French companies are looking forward to collaborating with China in cutting-edge technologies and innovations,” said Joan Valadou, Consul General of France in Shanghai.
This agreement has created an open and pragmatic cooperation platform for Chinese and French enterprises. With the transformation and upgrading of China’s manufacturing industry and the continuous innovation of advanced French manufacturing technology, the two sides have unlimited potential to jointly promote the transformation of the global manufacturing industry, Valadou said.
