LISBON, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The China Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (CCCEU) held the 2025 Portugal-China and Europe-China Cooperation Development Forum in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday. During the forum, the Automotive Working Group was established to strengthen collaboration between Chinese automakers and their European counterparts.

At the inauguration ceremony, Liu Jiandong, chairman of the CCCEU, highlighted the significant progress of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry in recent years. He noted that China is at the forefront of global technological innovation, industrial chain integration, and market expansion in this sector.

Liu emphasized that demand for NEVs in the European market is growing rapidly, and the CCCEU looks forward to deepening cooperation with European partners across R&D, manufacturing, supply chains, marketing, and other key areas.

"The establishment of the Automotive Working Group will provide a dedicated platform for communication and cooperation between Chinese and European automobile companies, support industrial upgrades, and contribute to the transformation of the global automotive industry toward a greener, smarter, and more digital future," he said. He also underscored the great potential for China-EU cooperation in this sector.

Zhang Hui, vice president of Nio Europe, was appointed as the first chairman of the working group. He outlined three key missions of the group, namely, establishing a communication and collaboration platform for Chinese automobile companies in Europe, protecting and promoting the interests of Chinese automotive enterprises in Europe, and strengthening cooperation between Chinese automakers and their European partners.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brussels, the CCCEU represents more than 100 members and over 1,000 Chinese-funded enterprises in Europe.■