China's Chery Automobile inks partnership deal with BWF

KUALA LUMPUR - China's car manufacturer Chery Automobile and World Badminton Federation (BWF) on Thursday signed a partnership agreement, which the two sides described as a "win-win cooperation".

The agreement will see Chery become an "official partner of BWF" for major badminton events, the Thomas and Uber Cup, Sudirman Cup and World Championships in four years.

"We are aware of the significance of this partnership," said Nigel Skelt, BWF council member and the marketing chief.

"We believe that this will be a win-win partnership for both organizations as well," he said.

Meanwhile, Chery aims to increase its global brand awareness through influence of the badminton world governing body.

Chery cars are sold in over 80 countries and regions around the world, and sales accumulated overseas have amounted to more than 800,000 units, according to Zhou Biren, vice president of Chery Automobile.

"I believe that with this collaboration with BWF who has significant influence on the global market, it will be an added push factor for Chery towards international development," he said.

Chery's cars and advertisements are on display during the ongoing Sudirman Cup in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, where the company has a decent performance in the past few years.

Zhou said Chery may use Malaysia as its base for further development in the Southeast Asian markets.