| China
bus manufacturer Zonda denied German automaker MAN AG's accusation of design patent
infringement Monday.
Zonda spokesman Ji Lijun told a Beijing press conference
yesterday that the firm, based in East China's Jiangsu Province, did not copy
the design of MAN's Neoplan Starliner bus.
MAN announced in Beijing last
Friday that it had filed a lawsuit against Zonda for alleged patent infringement.
MAN claimed that the exterior design of Zonda's A9 large-sized bus is
a complete copy of the Neoplan Starliner, demanding that Zonda cease production
of the model.
However, Zonda said there are many major differences between
the designs of the A9 and the Starliner.
"The A9 was developed ourselves
based on experiences acquired over the past decade. We have a strong independent
development capacity," Ji said.
Zonda's A9 went on sale in China
in 2004. The Neoplan Starliner was launched in Germany in the same year, but has
yet to be introduced to the Chinese market.
"It is Zonda's rise
in both the domestic and overseas markets that raises European bus manufacturers'
concerns. It (MAN) wants to use the lawsuit to attack us," Ji said.
He said Zonda and a Turkish automaker had reached an agreement to build a
3,000-unit bus plant in Istanbul, paving the way for its entry into Europe, MAN's
major market.
He said Zonda's domestic sales surged 89 % in the first
three quarters of this year, while its exports rocketed 249 % over the same period.
The company now has five plants in China with a combined annual manufacturing
capacity of 15,000 medium- and large-sized buses.
Ji said Zonda expects
its overseas sales will account for three-fifths of its total annual bus sales
in the years to come.
"Meanwhile, it will be our priority in the
overseas market to build assemble plants and transfer technology," he said.
At home and abroad, Zonda's buses are far cheaper than comparable European
models, according to Ji.
Many foreign automakers, such as US firm General
Motors and Japan's Toyota, Honda and Nissan have taken unsuccessful legal action
against Chinese firms over their alleged piracy.
MAN currently runs a
bus chassis joint venture in Central China's Henan Province with Yutong, the nation's
leading medium- and large-sized bus manufacturer.
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