by Dr. Holger Scherr
My personal connection with China dates back to 20 years ago, when I first entered Daimler Truck, leading a strategic program for Mercedes-Benz Trucks. For the first time, I was engaged in the truck business in China, opening my eyes to this country's vast opportunities.
The most important thing, I started to understand, is that for trucks, we have to "BE HERE" in China to succeed, which means, to build the business and abilities to act fast on local customers' needs.
Seven years ago, I came back to China -- this time with my family and the mission of leading a team to develop a true Mercedes-Benz truck in China, for China.
It has been the most rewarding task in my two-decades career with Daimler Truck.
We are committed to driving our customers' success with reliable and efficient transportation solutions. Growing from a small project team, we have established the business for localized Mercedes-Benz trucks, with fully-fledged functions and more than one thousand employees.
In China, we have a dedicated plant with an investment of over 485 million euros, local R&D capabilities, rigorous Mercedes-Benz quality standards, a comprehensive local supplier base, and sales and aftersales network -- all elements are in China, for China to be closer and respond faster to the market.
Looking back, our footprint in China also reflects the country's continuous efforts in industrial upgrading and high-quality development.
Without the automobile industry being more sophisticated, the transportation industry more professionalized, and the local R&D talent pool extended, we could not have accomplished this mission.
During this journey, openness and collaboration have been the key driving forces in allowing us to combine our global strengths with high value contributions in China.
That's why we value the China International Import Expo (CIIE) very much, as it continues to unleash the signal of further opening up and collaboration of the Chinese market. It is the fifth year that the imported Mercedes-Benz trucks are showcased at the CIIE, and we look forward to more exchanges with all circles, especially with our customers.
For us, the Chinese market not only offers the potential for profitable growth, but also contains vast opportunities for innovation and sustainability.
Low carbon, safety, comfort, intelligence -- the Chinese market is clearly keeping up with and even leading the trends of the commercial vehicle industry.
Be it localized or imported Mercedes-Benz trucks, and no matter how the market cycle turns, we are here to pursue long-term development. Enditem
(Editor's note: Dr. Holger Scherr is the president and CEO of Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co. Ltd., and head of Mercedes-Benz business unit. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.)