SINGAPORE CARBOY (SC)

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

ELECTRIC NEW PAPER

24-car Chinese convoy goes the distance to improve relations with neighbours

10,000km for GOODWILL
MUDDY from their 3,500km journey from China, a convoy of 24 cars rumbled into Singapore yesterday afternoon.
By Faith Teo

10 October 2007

MUDDY from their 3,500km journey from China, a convoy of 24 cars rumbled into Singapore yesterday afternoon.

Well, all but one.

Its driver got confused at the Second Link and took a wrong turn back into Malaysia. It resulted in a one-hour wait, before he could rejoin the group.

Singapore marks the fifth country the group of 132 has driven into, after it took 12 days to drive through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.

With the Chinese flag fluttering out of some car windows, the right-hand drive sports utility vehicles (SUVs) then made their way to Sentosa. The group will stay there until they leave tomorrow for Malaysia.

Included in the convoy are SUVs Volkswagen Toureg and the Toyota Prado.

The convoy makes up the China-Asean International Touring Assembly 2007, and is being made in the name of goodwill.

The group includes representatives from different cities in Guangxi, and other provinces such as Szechuan and Henan.

Mr Zeng Zhiqiang, the head of the group, told The New Paper in Mandarin that the group flagged off from Nanning, Guangxi, on 27 Sep.

He said: 'We want to get to know the people of the countries we pass through, and we hope they will get to know us better too.'

The convoy is partly sponsored by several Chinese companies, with some participants paying out of their own pockets.

This being the second year he's leading the convoy to Singapore, Mr Zeng said things have improved from last year.

'Last year, we were stuck at the Vietnamese border for five hours, because customs officers were concerned that we were driving right-hand drive cars.

'This year, it took all of five minutes. I think word spread about our friendship tour and we received the green light from higher level Vietnamese officials.'

POLICE CLOSED ROADS

Mr Zeng said that Laos was so welcoming that its police closed roads and cleared traffic so that the convoy could drive on without a hitch.

The youngest member of the group is 13-year-old Huang Hai Yang. The acrobat with eight years of training has performed during receptions at all the major cities they've passed through.

She said Singapore is her favourite city.

'It's beautiful, and a lot of people can speak Mandarin, which makes it easier for me to interact with them.'

After Singapore, the convoy will be retracing their journey back to China, making a detour to Cambodia to pick up two local representatives.

In line with its 'cultural-exchange' aim, the group will also be joined in Malaysia by four representatives in two cars, and two people each from Thailand and Laos.

Six Singaporeans are set to join the group on its journey back to Nanning in two Hyundai SUVs, a Sante Fe and a Terracan. They will then drive back to Singapore.

Singapore team leader Leslie Chang, 44, had led the team to China last year as well.

Mr Chang, a watch trader, said: 'We enjoyed the company of our Chinese companions. Even though we were in different cars, all of us were hooked up by radio. The purpose was to give instructions, but in between we would chat with one another.'

The Singapore team is partly self-funded, with help from Stamford Tyres and Hyundai distributor Komoco Motors.

He declined to reveal the cost.

The trip from Singapore to China will take about 12 days, and by the end of the tour, the Chinese convoy will have covered an estimated 10,000km.

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,144364,00.html

Media Corp - Channel 8 News

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

THE STRAITS TIMES

The long drive - all the way from China
Convoy of 25 Chinese cars ends its 5,000 km odessey from Nanning in Singapore.
By Christopher Tan

IT is not everyday that visitors from China arrive by road. So when 23 China-registered sports-utility vehicles and two buses drove into Singapore via the Second Link on Monday, they were given the VIP treatment and escorted by auxillary police to Sentosa.

Their 6,000km odyssey began in the southern Chinese city of Nanning on Sept 27, and their trip brought them through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.

The Chinese delegates on wheels - made up of about 110 government officials, motor club members, tour operators and TV crew - will stretch their legs and soak in the sights until Wednesday morning when they will make the return trip - again by road. They will be accompanied by two cars from Singapore and two from Malaysia.

Singapore watch importer Leslie Chang, 43, will be among six people in the two Singapore cars - repeating a journey he accomplished the same time last year. This time, he is bringing along his son, Daryl, a 17-year-old student. Last year, he brought along his father and father-in-law.

On why he is going again, Mr Chang simply said: 'I like driving.''

He added that without the help of the organisers - the People's Government of Guangxi State Autonomous Region - it would be 'impossible to drive into countries like Vietnam and Cambodia on your own''.

In the Singapore contingent are photographer Ernest Chua and medical doctor Tan Poh Heng. The others are semi-retired Australians Archibald Stewart and David Duffield - who read about Mr Chang's trip last year.

The entire convoy of 29 vehicles will be flagged off by Sembawang GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak, who is patron of the Singapore Motor Sports Association, and Singapore Sports Council's Chief Executive Oon Jin Teik.

The long drives are part of the China Asean International Touring Assembly (CAITA 2007), a fringe event of the China-Asean Summit 2007 - a heads-of-state gathering hosted by the Chinese government. Among other things, CAITA 2007 aims to promote connectivity in road transport between China and Asean countries.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest+News/Singapore/STIStory_165109.html

CHANNEL NEWSASIA

24 cars arrive in Singapore after 5,000km journey from Guangxi
By Lynda Hong and Serene Loo, Channel NewsAsia
Posted: 08 October 2007 2009 hrs

SINGAPORE: A special contingent of 24 cars from China arrived in Singapore on Monday afternoon.

Their journey began from Guangxi province in southern China on 27th September.

The cars have travelled some 5,000 kilometres through Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia before reaching Singapore.

The drivers had taken part in a rally as part of the China-ASEAN International Touring Assembly.

This is a fringe event of the China-ASEAN Summit 2007, hosted by the Chinese government and the China State General Administration of Sport.

The fleet will be staying here for two days before returning to Guangxi. Two teams from Singapore will be joining the Chinese drivers on the return leg.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/304535/1/.html

Monday, October 8, 2007

China Asean International Touring Assembly 2007/ Content Page

SINGAPORE CARBOY (SC)

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

ELECTRIC NEW PAPER

Media Corp - Channel 8 News

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

THE STRAITS TIMES

CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Monday, October 8, 2007

China Asean International Touring Assembly 2007/ Content Page

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