China's Auto Industry: Develop Through The Wind And Rain

　　

China's first vehicle, a Jiefang truck rolled off FAW's assembly line in 1956

In any country, the auto industry is an industry that is highly linked to other industries and as such, has great hearings on the whole national economy; China's auto industry is no exception

　　Experiencing more than 50 years of trials and hardship, China's auto industry, which has made a great achievement, has become a pillar industry for the country.

　　In general, China's auto industry has so far experienced two development stages, and now it has graduated onto the third stage.

　　  Construction Period: Born in the Poor and Undeveloped Situation

　　The country's auto industry construction period lasted from 1953 to 1978.

　　China's auto industry began in 1953, when the First Automobile Works (FAW) was set up in Changchun City of Northeast China's Jilin Province. The first vehicle, a Jiefang (Chinese for liberation) truck named by Mao Zedong, rolled off FAW's assembly line in 1956. During this period, the development of Chinese automobiles was smooth. The total output of the national automobile rose from 61 in 1955 to 22,574 by 1960.

　　However, affected by factors such as the "great leap forward" (a Chinese economic plan aimed at revitalizing all sectors of the economy, initiated by Mao Zedong, and which emphasized decentralized, labor-intensive industrialization), natural calamity, and the "Culture Revolution," the Chinese auto industry rose and fell indefinitely. In 1966, the total output of motor vehicles exceeded only 50,000.

　　  Developing Period: See the Dawn

　　With the dawning of the reform and opening up, there were some big changes in China's auto industry. In 1984, the question of absorbing foreign investment and producing with foreigner partners was pushed to the forefront.