On June 16, 2009, SINOPEC launched the SINOPEC Automobile Industry Technology Cooperation Center, heralding a stark change in its approach to the market and customers, and marking a shift from the provision of energy and petrochemical products to that of energy and petrochemical services. The new Center will benefit the increasingly inter-dependent petrochemical and auto industries alike, and it takes the lead in multi-industry technology cooperation in China.

Zhang Jianhua, senior vice president of SINOPEC Corporation, addresses the conference and, together with Dong Yang, executive vice president of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, launches the Center.

Zhang Ning, vice secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers offers her congratulations on the opening of the Center.

Senior executives and other staff from SINOPEC and around 40 automakers, including Toyota, Dongfeng Nissan, FAW Group, and CNHTC, attended the launch.

Song Yunchang, general manager of SINOPEC Lubricant, will assume the lead role at the new Center, which will include representation from SINOPEC's key automotive petrochemical products R&D, manufacturing and sales divisions. "The Automobile Industry Technology Cooperation Center will be in a position to better serve automobile customers, which will help SINOPEC find a stronger sense of direction and impetus in R&D into automotive petrochemical products, as well as developing new automobile technologies products. The new center will allow SINOPEC to get closer to the market and to customers, and to better understand their ever-changing needs. SINOPEC and automakers will now be able to work together to increase R&D capabilities and improve the quality of automotive petrochemicals products, which range from fuels to lubricants and from plastics to rubber, which in turn will improve the quality and competitiveness of finished vehicles," said Song Yunchang at the launch.

Song Yunchao, director of SINOPEC Automobile Industry Technology Cooperation Center and general manager of SINOPEC Lubricant, delivers a speech.

Representatives from the FAW Group, Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicles, Beijing Hyundai, the Shifeng Group and other automobile manufacturers welcomed the launch of the Center, holding the view that the help in organizing the operations to meet the needs of companies further down the industry chain, will be greatly beneficial. The Center will assist automobile manufacturers solve quality improvement and technology problems more quickly. SINOPEC, a powerful and leading industry player, will now break new ground in industry cooperation and, by fully utilizing the services of the new Center, will fast-track the localization of Chinese automobile manufacturing. Furthermore, SINOPEC will use the Center as a platform to more effectively convey its needs, and will rely on the sway of the Center to improve overall competitiveness between automakers.

The Center is the result of a lengthy period of planning and preparation on the part of SINOPEC, working closely and establishing strategic partnerships with Foton, Chery, Dongfeng Nissan and other leading Chinese automakers over the past few years, as well as cementing effective exchange and cooperation ties with domestic auto makers and those from America, Europe, Japan and Korea. SINOPEC supplies factory fluid and service fluid to 90% of leading Chinese automakers and has established itself as a key partner in the automobile industry.