Published on: 2026-05-27
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian language –
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Kaliningrad /Russia/, May 27 /Sinyua/ — One of the leading Russian automakers — the Kaliningrad plant “Avtotor” — plans to expand cooperation with partners from China to increase the level of production localization. This was stated in an interview with correspondent Sinyua by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company “Avtotor Holding,” Valery Gorbunov.
“By 2032, we must bring the volume of localized automobile parts up to 85 percent together with partners from China,” he announced the goal he is aiming for.
As the head of “Avtotor” explained, currently the factory produces 22 models of passenger cars from five Chinese brands at its capacity. This year, it is planned to add another 7 new models. At the same time, V. Gorbunov emphasized that this is not just about assembly, but about the production of components, including complex high-tech elements of the car.
“Today we are already producing electronic equipment that goes into automobiles. We manufacture electric power units, so far in small volumes, because the Russian market has not yet felt committed to electric propulsion, but we are shaping it. We produce plastic exterior parts of the automobile — bumpers, mirror housings. Volumes vary for each brand, but the most important thing is that we cannot retreat from this matter, because in response to localization, the government provides us with support,” explained the interlocutor from SinYu’a.He added that the plan includes the production of internal combustion engines, transmissions, gearboxes, and plastic gears.
V. Gorbunov noted that Chinese automakers understand the policy of the Russian government in the development of the automotive industry, where the focus is on increasing localization and gradual deepening of production technology. Considering the specific geographical position of the Kaliningrad region — the westernmost region of Russia, completely separated from the main territory of the country — this factor solves one of the main problems — logistics. “You see what is happening at sea and ocean. We do not have a direct connection with the main territory, there are no railway or automobile communications.”The rise in logistics costs at the end of the supply chain affects the final product price. We understand this, and local production is, among other things, aimed at significantly reducing this cost burden on the product’s cost,
Another important area of cooperation with China he called the automation of production. “Together with Chinese partners, we are engaged in digitalization, robotization, artificial intelligence. There are processes that are quite labor-intensive. On the other hand, in some cases, the quality requires the highest level, and the human factor should not influence this. A robot can operate at any time of day equally, with guaranteed consistent quality,” V. noted.Gorbunov added that a high percentage of robotization and automation of the production process allows addressing the problem of labor resource shortages.
The head of “Avtotora” highly appreciated the level of cooperation with Chinese partners, emphasizing that this interaction is built on trust. “We have developed mutual trust in business, in life in general, and in any human interaction, trust is one of the essential parameters that contribute to the development of society, cooperation, and business relations,” he concluded.
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