Dieter Weinand, president of Bayer AG's pharmaceuticals division and a member of the company's management board, said: "The Chinese government is taking the right steps in assuring that new medicines can be approved in China faster, by allowing full studies conducted in other countries to be utilized and updated in China.

The head of distribution for the Ingolstadt-based company, Dieter Voggenreiter, said that "the last days of May already indicated that [Audi] will return to its previous market position swiftly.

"It is the first time in three years that we have received a Chinese business delegation," said Dieter Boening, chairman of the Association of German Hidden Champions, when meeting with delegates from China's Hubei Province.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ola Kallenius, who succeeded Dieter Zetsche as Daimler's chairman in May, said the company is "very pleased" that long-standing partner BAIC is now a long-term investor in Daimler.

Dieter May, former vice-president of BMW digital products and services, said that the cooperation marked a milestone of vehicle connectivity.

After 13 years as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the German luxury car maker Daimler, Dieter Zetsche officially retired at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday.

On his LinkedIn account, Dieter Zetsche, Daimler's chairman, said: "It's the beginning of a new chapter in the history of smart brand－a chapter that includes new models, entry into new segments, and the start of a new period of growth.

"Instead of individual, standalone solutions, we want to develop a reliable overall system," said Daimler board member Ola Kallenius, who is set to take over from departing chief executive Dieter Zetsche in May.

"In a highly competitive environment, we also remained at the top from month to month, thanks to double-digit growth in China and many new models that have delighted both existing and new customers worldwide," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Executives from the carmakers, asking not to be named, said the meeting was tentatively set for Tuesday, and would include VW Chief Executive Herbert Diess, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche and BMW production chief Oliver Zipse.

We want to combine our expertise and experience to develop a unique, sustainable ecosystem for urban mobility," said Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche.

While Li has said the investment forms the basis for partnerships in an era where traditional manufacturers can no longer go it alone against new entrants with fresh technology, Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler, also mentioned at the Paris auto show last week the company's talks with Geely over possible projects, which he declined to specify, are very constructive and promising, Bloomberg reported.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said the automaker has been implementing its CASE strategy, which stands for connectivity, automated driving, sharing/services and electrification, both globally and at a local level in China.

Responding to the news, German transport minister Andreas Scheuer told the magazine "SPIEGEL" that he had scheduled a meeting with Daimler chief executive officer Dieter Zetsche at his government department as soon as on Monday to discuss the allegations in detail.

Mercedes-Benz Cars has expanded its R&D network too, and has six facilities in China, after opening its Beijing R&D center in 2014, and now has more than 850 employees working in the capital, according to Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

While VW-mandated US law firm Jones Day concluded an external investigation, probes by other legal advisers including Gleiss Lutz will take more time, Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch said.

"Of course we welcome this move, which we think is a very positive development," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG.

Dieter Zetsche is chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

"As pioneers in automotive engineering, we will not leave the task of shaping future urban mobility to others," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in a statement.

"Above all, this is a family car," said Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes parent Daimler.

Speaking at an event in Duisburg, Germany, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said on Tuesday he had no information about Geely's purchases of Daimler shares.

Dieter Zetsche, chief executive officer of Daimler AG, speaks on stage during the Daimler media night ahead of the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Sept 11, 2017.

"On the one hand, we are more successful than ever, but on the other hand our industry is changing like never before," Daimler Executive Dieter Zetsche said.

"Mueller's remarks were echoed by his fellow countryman, Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche.

"In-house production is almost irrelevant to the consumer," Dieter Zetsche, chairman at Daimler, said earlier this week at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, introduces new models to an enthusiastic media audience.

"We must continue to satisfy our customers and we will see how our development in general and relative to our competitors is at the end of the year," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

For instance, the S-Class, of which one in three was sold in China, according to Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

"The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long set the benchmark for automotive safety, comfort, intelligence, efficiency and innovation," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, at the premiere ceremony.