Chengdu hosts Challenge Bibendum

Mobility in focus at the 11th Michelin Challenge Bibendum at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport. [Photo / China Daily]

The 12th Michelin Challenge Bibendum will be held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, from Nov 11 to 15, the French tire manufacturer and Chengdu city government announced on March 25.

Started by Michelin Group in 1998, the challenge is an international event that gathers participants from different fields to discuss and explore the possibilities in sustainable mobility.

Participants include automakers, energy suppliers, policy makers, car owners, research and development institutions and non-profit organizations.

It will be the third time for China to host the Michelin Challenge Bibendum. It was held in Shanghai in 2004 and 2007.

The five-day event in Chengdu will not only demonstrate a number of international initiatives for future road mobility, but also host technical tests and rallies, rides and driving, as well as demos with exhibitions and workshops.

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"The Michelin event aims to develop a shared vision of tomorrow's sustainable mobility," said Patrick Oliva, senior vice-president of Michelin Group and chairman of the Michelin Challenge Bibendum.

"We strongly believe that in addition to creating new business opportunities, sustainable mobility will benefit both individuals and society as a whole."

Over the past 15 years, the event has been held in a number of cities worldwide including Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin and Rio de Janeiro.

Michelin said it chose Chengdu to host the event because of its importance in China's auto industry. Chengdu ranks first in vehicle production in the west of the country.

Known through history as "the land of abundance", it is now the economic hub in western China.

Forbes magazine predicted that Chengdu will be one of the world's fastest-growing cities in the next decade.

Last year, Chengdu hosted the 2013 Fortune Global Forum and the 12th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention, both of which attracted extensive attention from business circles worldwide.

"We hope this Michelin Challenge Bibendum to be held in Chengdu will attract more automobile companies and vendors to consider business cooperation and investment in the city, which we think will strengthen our international competitiveness in the auto industry," said Mu Tao, chairman Chengdu sub-council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.