World's top 500 companies gradually resume production in Shanghai

SHANGHAI - Despite the impact of the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai, more than 4,000 workers at a factory of SAIC Motor, a Chinese automaker have resumed work while being shielded from the virus.

Starting on April 18, the complete vehicle and parts manufacturers and logistics branches of the world's top 500 company started the pressure test for work and production resumption, focusing on the support of personnel, supply chain, production management as well as epidemic prevention measures, said Huang Jianying, Party chief of a passenger vehicle branch of SAIC Motor.

More than 700 complete vehicles have come off the production line at the branch's factory located in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone since the first one came off on April 19.

The factory's production will gradually climb if the supply chain remains stable, according to Ji Qiwei, deputy general manager of the branch.

"We attach sufficient importance to both production and epidemic prevention," said Huang.

The factory not only formulated a series of plans on epidemic prevention, health screening and emergency before the pressure test but also set up eight professional teams of security, logistics and emergency response. The teams take charge of implementing the prevention measures and disinfecting the production, material and living areas.

As for the challenges in the supply chain and logistics, Huang said SAIC Motor has conducted a comprehensive survey of suppliers' production capacity, inventory and raw materials while helping them advance the epidemic prevention and production resumption.

US carmaker Tesla's Shanghai factory officially resumed production on April 19, with about 8,000 employees back to work thus far, the company has said.

The factory will work under closed-loop management, and exports to the global market will gradually resume.

On the morning of April 19, the battery and motor workshops resumed production, and the factory officially started vehicle production in the afternoon, according to Song Gang, the factory's manufacturing and operation director.

"On the first day, production was run at 80 to 90 percent of normal speed and the factory will boost its production gradually to full capacity," Song said.

All factory employees will have to take a nucleic acid test each day. The company said that its production and office areas are subject to strict disinfection procedures and epidemic prevention measures are being carried out to ensure safe production.

"We have full confidence in China's economy," said Tao Lin, vice-president of Tesla. "From the process of the current production resumption, we have seen China's ability to cope with challenges, and we believe that normality will soon return."

Tao said that several government departments have worked almost round the clock to help enterprises resume work and production as quickly as possible.

Tesla said it is actively promoting the resumption of production at more than 100 parts manufacturers with the help of relevant government departments.

French retailer Carrefour said that all its stores in Shanghai will resume online business by May 1. As of April 23, more than 80 percent of Carrefour stores in Shanghai had resumed online business.

Since April, Carrefour has worked with logistics companies to better deliver goods and provide necessities for local residents. The stores that have resumed online business can now deliver more than 100,000 orders a day.

Seventy percent of Shanghai's 666 major enterprises have resumed production amid the COVID-19 resurgence, vice-mayor Zhang Wei said on April 22.