Audi 2007 Annual Report Download - page 29

27
MARKETS & MOVERS
businessmen. Here, you can go to the store next door for a
beer in your pajamas. There is even a knife grinder
plying his trade in the street. Here, time moves more slowly
than anywhere else in Beijing. This is where young bohemians
go out at night. Yet even here, there are still signs of progress.
The homes of the less affluent residents are currently being
converted from coal to night-storage heating. “This will get
rid of the acrid smell of coal that hangs in the air all winter
long,” explains Zhu.
They come to a small traffic jam. Two drivers are arguing
loudly about who gets to go first. “Cars are soon going to be
banned from this street,” suspects Stadler, “and that’s a good
idea. A city needs both traffic and car-free zones.” Both men
have long been thinking about the role the automobile should
play in a modern city. To both of them, this is part and parcel
of their environmental awareness. “Society is changing. The
challenge of dealing with resources in a responsible manner is
becoming ever greater. We are clearly sensing that the Chinese
market wants and needs new technology to meet these new
challenges,” says Stadler. “We need to manage China’s growth,
and we need people committed to implementing these new
policies,” replies Zhu. “The earlier we start thinking about
this, the better. The car market is set to grow dramatically,”
says Stadler.
“We need to prepare for further growth, but we also
need to face up to the responsibility that comes with it,”re-
marks Zhu. They walk past a broom seller carrying his entire
stock-in-trade through the streets on a bicycle. There is a
pause in the conversation. Zhu picks it up again: “What was
your first car?” “A VW Golf convertible in the early 1980s,”
answers Stadler. “And yours?” “A Beijing Jeep, I got it in
1991.” “What is it about cars that you find fascinating?” asks
Stadler. “Cars have a soul, and they make the world go faster,”
answers Zhu. “How about you?” “To me, the car is a product
that’s indispensable for our society. The design of a car can
create a whole attitude to life. It stands for quality of life. It is a
private oasis of calm, somewhere you can escape to when you
drive to or from work. You can enjoy the journey because you
can listen to music or even enjoy some sporty driving.”
Zhu nods, then abruptly asks: “What are the strengths
and weaknesses of the Germans and the Chinese?” Stadler
does not need long to find an answer. This is a question he has
often mused over. “We may be better technicians, but the Chi-
nese probably make the better salesmen. What do you think?”
says Stadler, throwing the ball back into Zhu’s court. “We are
faster and more flexible, while the Germans are more orderly
and think things through. That is to say we’re the perfect
match,” laughs Zhu. An informal, off-the-cuff exchange would
have been inappropriate around the negotiating table sur-
rounded by their employees. But out on the sidewalk, they
can say what they think. The pair greet a couple of old men
playing the traditional Chinese game of Mahjong, something
of a cross between chess and checkers. Sitting on small stools
at a street corner, they are bent in concentration over the
playing tiles.
At the end of the walk, both men look back on the success-
ful 20-year partnership between Audi and FAW. Zhu asks
Stadler for his views on the decisive factors behind this suc-
cess. “A lot of groundbreaking work,”replies Stadler after a
brief pause for thought, “and a willingness to negotiate.”
“Yes,” replies Zhu, “in this business, both sides have to be sure
that they will benefit. And we managed to achieve that.”•
Photos: sinopictures/CNS, Martin Puddy/gettyimages, Angelo Cavalli/gettyimages, UPI/laif, AUDI AG
Local color: Cookshops are also part of the pulsating
street scene in Beijing.
Leadership change: A new President for
our Chinese joint venture partner
Xu Jianyi,
President of China FAW
Group Corporation
On December 27, 2007, Zhu Yanfeng was named Vice-
Governor of the Jilin Province effective immediately.
Xu Jianyi was appointed as his successor as President
of China FAW Group Corporation (FAW).
Xu Jianyi previously held executive positions at FAW
and served several years ago as Commercial Vice-
President of FAW-Volkswagen. In this position, he
managed the Audi integration into FAW-Volkswagen
and the negotiations for the local manufacture of
the Audi A6.