BOAO — The 2019 World New Energy Vehicle Congress kicked off on July 2 in the city of Boao, South China’s island province of Hainan, as industry heavyweights and policy makers gathered to discuss the future of the booming field.

The congress, which will be concluded on July 3, focuses on discussions about new energy vehicles (NEVs) market among leading worldwide vehicle manufacturers.

China is a global leader in manufacturing NEVs with more than 200 types of new energy cars launched in the first half of 2019, and the Chinese government has a clear road map to beef up the industry, said Horbert Diess, chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, at the congress.

“Reform and opening-up is a driving force for China’s auto industry since it enables the industry to go global and attract world attention,” said Fu Yuwu with the China Society of Automotive Engineers.

First Automotive Works (FAW), one of the leading automakers in China, said 40 percent of the passenger vehicles produced by the company will be NEVs by 2025. The ratio is expected to go up to 60 percent by 2030, according to Xu Liuping, chairman of the board with FAW Group.

SAIC Motor said it is applying 5G technology to make driving more intelligent. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co Ltd aims to mass produce Level-3 auto-driving cars and connect all of its new products to the internet by 2020.

The ongoing technological revolutions have also propelled the auto industry into vigorous and prompt actions, said Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology.

Wan added that auto retailers around the world should seek cooperation and innovation and make due contribution to the industrial upgrading of the auto market.

By the end of 2018, over 5.64 million NEVs have been sold around the world, and China accounted for 52.8 percent of them.