Chinese company exports self-sterilizing buses to Cyprus
A total of 200 high-end buses with a safety feature relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic are shipped from a port in the city of Xiamen. [Photo/KLM]
A total of 200 high-end buses with a safety feature relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic were shipped from a port in the city of Xiamen, in East China's Fujian Province, to Cyprus on Wednesday.
The consignment of buses, manufactured by China's leading bus maker Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Company, is the largest batch to be delivered to the European market by a Chinese company, according to Zhao Yutong, an executive of the company.
With a blue-and-white patterned exterior, there are two types of buses, both equipped with an automatic spray system for disinfecting and sterilizing the interior of the vehicle. They will be put into operation in Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus.
"The purchase and manufacture of the batch were greatly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Zhao, adding that the company overcame a wide range of difficulties in purchasing components in European countries in order to ensure delivery.
Since resuming work on Feb 18, the company has exported over 5,000 buses to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Chile.
Why Xiamen
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Xiamen is one of the most economically competitive cities in China and was one of the first Special Economic Zones on the Chinese mainland. As a vice-provincial city independently listed on the State development plan, it has provincial-level authority in economic administration and local legislative power. In 2010, the Xiamen SEZ was expanded to cover the entire municipality. Today, Xiamen is a modern and international port city.