This Day, That Year: Feb 19

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

On Feb 19, 1997, the Xiali sedan car project began mass production under State approval, as seen in the item from China Daily. The cars were produced by Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile as part of a joint venture manufacturing deal with Toyota Motor Corp.

The sedan once dominated the passenger car market in China.

In 2002, Xiali became the first Chinese auto brand to export compact cars to a company in the United States. According to the deal, about 25,000 Xiali cars would be delivered.

In 2011, its sales reached 253,000 vehicles annually and topped the country's auto sales list for 18 consecutive years since the 1990s.

Due to fierce competition, the brand saw a decline in profits. Tianjin FAW Xiali announced temporary suspension of production of Xiali sedans last year.

Unlike Xiali, many domestic automakers have launched more models and started to lower retail prices to more affordable levels to compete with imported products.

Geely, one of the fastest-growing domestic automakers, owns Swedish brand Volvo and Malaysia's Proton, and has unveiled its own brand Lynk & Co, with the aim of competing with international brands such as GM and Volkswagen.

By 2009, China had passed the United States to become the world's No 1 market for production and sales of automobiles, with 13.8 million automobiles sold.

In 2015, China overtook the US to become the world's largest market for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with sales totaling some 340,000 units, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The government's promotion of electric vehicles has spurred domestic automakers to master the relevant technologies.