(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-09-12 11:14

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States (NHTSA) will sign a memorandum of cooperation with China today, CNN reported on its website citing NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason.

The pact is aimed to make communication easier between auto safety regulators of the two countries so that potential problems can be resolved more quickly, Nason said.

The federal government already has such agreements with most other nations that export passenger vehicles and auto parts to the US, she said.

Under the new agreement, a NHTSA representative will be able to get the necessary response by simply placing a telephone call, instead of writing a letter, having it translated into Chinese and faxing it to China, she said.

"The Chinese have a strong interest in motor vehicle equipment and motor vehicle sales in the US," Nason said.

Several American companies, including Chrysler, have expressed interest in importing Chinese-made passenger vehicles. Improving communication is particularly important as Chinese manufacturers begin designing and engineering vehicles for sale here, Nason said.

Statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows that, in the first seven months of this year, China exported a total of 294,100 vehicles, up 70.38 percent year on year. The export value of vehicles during the period reached US$3.34 billion, an increase of 110 percent year on year.