The Chinese ambassador to Belgium says that the “success” of a huge car plant in Flanders is a prime example of what can be achieved by “working together.”
Ambassador Fei Shengchao, speaking in Brussels, pointed to the importance of the Volvo car plant in Gent, Flanders as an example of the added value China was, he said, able to provide to EU countries like Belgium.
Owned by a Chinese conglomerate, the plant employees 7,000 people (“and not a single Chinese person”) and is the biggest employer in Flanders.
“This shows what cooperation can do in improving the competitiveness of a European country.”
The country’s car production capacity, he noted, had seriously declined over the years but the success of the Volvo operation was an “excellent” example of what can be achieved by close cooperation.
Volvo Car Gent is based in the port of Ghent and the site consists of a welding factory, spraying factory, final assembly and various adjacent areas. With 186,313 cars produced (2024) per year, it is seen as one of the strongholds within Volvo.
It currently builds the XC40, EX40, EC40 and V60 models and, from the second quarter of 2025, the EX30.
The first fully electric Volvo, the EX40, has been produced at the Ghent factory since the second half of 2020 and the second fully electric Volvo, the EC40, since the second half of 2021. A third fully electric Volvo, the EX30, will be built in Ghent from the second quarter of 2025.
Speaking totally separately, on the company website, Stefan Fesser, CEO Volvo Car Ghent, said, “Volvo Car Gent is also the first to assemble batteries for the electric Volvo EX40. Our employees receive intensive training to be able to work in this brand new factory and were involved in this ground breaking technology from the start.”
The issue of EVs has been the subject of conflict between the two sides in recent times and the ambassador acknowledged this while also saying there had been “some progress” in recent negotiations aimed at resolving the matter.
He noted that the Belgian plant was producing “state of the art” electric vehicles and this is an example of how cooperation can significantly increase the competitiveness of European companies and nations.”
In an address at the city’s press club at Schuman, he spoke of “rising tensions” caused to world trade as a result of President Trump’s controversial tariffs.
The experienced diplomat insisted that “no one benefits” from “trade wars” and cautioned again a further escalation in current trade conflicts.
He said, “Dialogue is always the best solution. Trade wars and tariffs produce no winners.”
Amid the fallout from Trump’s tariffs, he also advocated “strong” political and economic ties with the EU, saying the relationship between the two sides had been wrongly portrayed in the media.
