Though Germans, Americans, Japanese and French are China's main automaking partners, the United Kingdom companies and government organizations are seeking to expand their presence in the research and parts sectors.

"The U.K. has a strong capacity in auto research and development," Stuart Nunn, director for International Automotive Relations with the U.K.'s Department of Trade and Industry, told Shanghai Daily in an interview in the British city of Birmingham.

"As China currently lacks independent auto research and design abilities, we see tremendous business opportunities with Chinese partners," he commented during the ongoing British International Motor Show in central England.

Technology, indeed, is the pride of the British auto industry. As Germany's Volkswagen AG have acquired Rolls Royce and the United States-based Ford Motor Co. bought Land Rover, Britain no longer owns a large-scale vehicle manufacturing base.

But capitalizing on advantages in technology and design, several automakers have built plants in the U.K., including Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and America's General Motors Corp.

"The auto industry is a global industry," Nunn said. "For China, global partners should bring in advanced technology and design to make the Chinese auto industry world-class."

More than 40 British auto companies now have a presence in China, with total investment exceeding US$30 million, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.

Among them are GKN Automotive Ltd., of which a 12-year-old drive shaft plant in Shanghai currently enjoys about a 70 percent market share in China, and the Motor Industry Research Association, which established a new-vehicle proving ground in Xiangfan in partnership with Dongfeng Automotive Group.

"We are very interested in helping the U.K.-based companies work closely with their Chinese counterparts," said R.G. Bailey, director for International Trade with the U.K.¡¯s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd., a non-governmental industry organization.

Unlike some German and American auto components suppliers, which came to China on the heels of automakers such as Volkswagen and General Motors, British firms may have a tougher time entering the Chinese market.

"Companies that have an existing partnership with carmakers which run plants in China are in a better position to enter the Chinese market," said Christopher Macgowan, the society's chief executive. "Those that aren't in such a position will need to find a suitable partner in China first."

(Eastday)