Jilin First Automotive Works (FAW) recently beat SAIC, Chery, Geely, Brilliance and other leading domestic proprietary brands in an intense bidding to win the contract to supply 200 police vehicles to Costa Rica in a gratuitous aid project of the Chinese government. This was another large-scale foreign-aid vehicle supply project won by Jilin FAW after winning the bid to provide the APEC summits at Papua New Guinea and Peru with Red Flag limousines earlier this year. This marked FAW's breakthrough in winning aid projects in Central America. The total value of the project was Rmb29 million.

FAW's victory is of great significance because Costa Rica had diplomatic relations with Taiwan for many years and has only just established diplomatic ties with China. It will not only have a positive impact on Central America and the Caribbean region but will also enable FAW to continue to expand its influence through subsequent spare parts sales and after-sale service. It will also lay the foundation for FAW to win similar bids in the region.

FAW's success in winning three consecutive foreign-aid bids this year further reinforces the group's leading edge and reputation in executive and police vehicles of proprietary brands in China's foreign-aid projects. It will further expand Jilin's export market for machinery and electrical products and have a positive and far-reaching impact on Jilin's niche enterprises "going global".