With the latest models and techniques at the show, the eleventh Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China 2010, officially kicked off on Sunday.

A model poses beside a new Lamborghini car during the media preview at the Beiijng Auto Show on April 23, 2010. In total, nearly 2100 companies from 16 coutries and regions will exhibit during 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2010) . [Xinhua]

The Expo, with a theme of "Imagining the Green Future" this year, will focus on clean energy vehicles with 95 new-energy-driven cars from foreign and Chinese automakers on display.

They are joined by 65 concept vehicles and 89 models making their world debut, forming part of the 990 exhibits from 16 countries and regions, according to the Expo's organizing committee.

The biennial auto show is open to professionals public from April 25 to 26 after opening exclusively to journalists in the past two days. It will open to the general public from April 27 through May 2.

It is expected to attract a record 700,000 visitors.

European-based BMW, Mercedes Benz, PSA Peugeot Citroen, US-based Ford, Japan's Nissan, and Hyundai of the Republic of Korea (ROK) are all seeking a bigger share of the market that sped past the United States as the world's largest last year.

China made 13.79 million cars in 2009 while sales hit 13.64 million vehicles in the domestic market, up by over 40 percent year on year.

Since China has already become the world's largest auto market, it would be difficult for global auto makers to progress without a clear strategy for the Chinese market, said Victor Muller, CEO of the Dutch luxury sports car maker Spyker Cars N.V..

New energy vehicles and the latest energy-saving technologies were brought to show.

Volkswagen, Europe's largest car maker, will showcase its "Blue Motion" technologies for electric cars at the Expo, while Japanese brand Honda Motor has announced to introduce three hybrid car models into China in the next three years.

China's home brands, such as Chery Automobile and BYD Auto, has also brought their latest electric vehicle models, including the debut of E1 electric concept car from the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.(SAIC).

Xu Liuping, president of Chinese automaker Changan Automobile Group which brought four hybrid car models and six electric ones to the Expo, said the group's future strategy would focus on "G-Living", which refers to "green, growth and global."

The biennial exhibition is one of the three major auto shows in China. The other two are staged in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2010)