Ford, Mazda and Changan sign joint deal for engine plant

1. Zoom out to wide shot of representatives from Ford, Mazda and Changan Automotive Group for the announcement ceremony 2. Handshakes of three representatives 3. Wide shot of ceremony 4. VIPs (very important persons) seated at ceremony 5. Jiangsu provincial leaders 6. Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), walking to podium 7. SOUNDBITE (English): Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company President and COO: "I'm honoured to represent Ford in announcing this joint partnership with Changan Automotive Group, Mazda Motor Corporation and Ford and this signing of a joint venture agreement for a new engine plant (factory) in the Nanjing economic and technological development zone." 8. Press 9. Mazda Motor Corporation President Hisakazu Imaki walking to podium 10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese): Hisakazu Imaki, Mazda Motor Corporation President: "I wish to conclude by asking for the strong support and the warm guidance from all of you to ensure that the vehicle assembly plant and engine plant will become a great success." 11. Zoom out from handover ceremony 12. SOUNDBITE (English): Jim Padilla, Ford Motor Company President and COO: (Asked if he's worried about his business joint venture because of strong anti-Japanese sentiment at the moment) "I think that the situation is a delicate one. I think that we have seen over time that the growth potential, having strong partners is the most important element of that. We believe that Changan is a very good partner in that regard and we believe that Mazda will be a very good partner and I don't see that as an impediment to the growth of our business in China." 13. Exterior of new factory 14. Logos of the three partners 15. Factory under construction 16. Construction site STORYLINE: Ford Motor Company, Japan's Mazda Motor Corporation and Chinese partner Changan Automotive Group announced a joint venture on Tuesday to build a new engine factory in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing. The venture, provisionally named the Changan Ford Mazda Engine Company, is still subject to government approval. The announcement comes just days before the carmakers participate in the Shanghai Auto Show. The biennial event showcases China's aspirations to become a major car exporter, as well as one of the world's biggest vehicle markets. The new engine plant is part of a more-than one (b) billion US dollars China investment plan announced in October by Ford. The company is one of several foreign car manufacturers pouring (b) billions of dollars into new spending in China - despite signs that growth in car sales is slowing down. The engine plant is intended to have an annual production of 350-thousand engines, Ford said. Engines made by the plant will employ the latest technology and should exceed Chinese government fuel efficiency standards, the company claimed. Asked about the current deterioration in Sino-Japanese relations, Ford Motor Company President Jim Padilla said he didn't "see that as an impediment to the growth of our business in China." In December 1937, Nanjing fell to the Japanese Imperial Army. It is estimated that around 300-thousand people - mostly civilians and prisoners' of war - were murdered. Over twenty thousand cases of rape were reported. The re-writing of Japanese historical textbooks - allegedly ignoring pre- and World War II atrocities such as 'The Rape of Nanjing' - has in part fuelled the current anti-Japanese feeling in China. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/23eda95f932a985f8af67c05325e98c4 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork