With an ambitious plan of producing over 2 million cars annually, China's very own motor city, Changchun, is aiming for the sky, hoping to become the world's top auto manufacturing base by 2010.

Changchun, located in northern China's Jilin province, currently produces about 1 million cars each year.

It is home to four automotive giants - China FAW (First Automotive Works), Volkswagen, Toyota and Mazda.

"Changchun wants to double its annual production to nearly 2 million cars, with a production value of 500 billion yuan ($72 billion) by 2010," city Mayor Cui Jie told China Daily over the weekend.

"If we can achieve the target, Changchun will become the world's largest auto-manufacturing base."

He said so far, the plan to expand production has been "going smoothly", with the four automakers increasing the total production by 800,000 cars.

The country's first auto-manufacturing factory, FAW, was set up in Changchun, known as the cradle of China's auto industry, in 1956. The group produced the country's first truck and car a few years later.

With several national auto research institutes, Changchun is also the country's biggest automobile research and development center.

Mayor Cui said that despite the financial crisis, the demand for cars was still high. "It (the global meltdown) is an opportunity for Changchun to improve its competitiveness in the auto industry."

Cui said that on average, every 1,000 people in China own 38 cars.

"The country needs 100 million cars to reach the world's average car ownership of 139.

"It is a dream for Chinese families to own cars and this dream has just begun."

Local automakers, who share Cui's dream of turning every Chinese family's dream into a reality, have poured in investment.

"The expansion project is completely market-oriented and the government has not spent a single penny," Cui said.

In its pursuit to become the world's leading motor city, Changchun will also "strengthen its automotive-related service industry, such as trade, finance, logistics and education", he said.

The city has invested 3 billion yuan to build an auto trade center, with an estimated sale volume of 20 billion yuan, Cui said, adding that the center will become the "most influential" one in China.

Like most of the motor cities, Changchun will also open its car museum this year, introducing the history of the Chinese auto industry alongside the world's car culture.

(China Daily March 10, 2009)