NINGBO, China, Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Geely Holding Group announced that the Geely Emgrand has been nominated as the official vehicle for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) informal leadership meeting, set to be held in Ningbo, in China's Zhejiang province, in February 2014. Geely Auto has delivered 45 Emgrand vehicles to the organiser. The gathering, which is APEC's first senior official meeting of 2014, will be the largest international event ever to have been held in the city. This year marks the first time that an indigenous Chinese brand has been nominated as the official vehicle sponsor of an APEC meeting. The London Taxi Company, a subsidiary of Geely Holding Group, will also maintain a presence around the conference with its London TX4 taxis.

Hong Jiaxiang, deputy mayor of Ningbo, said at the delivery ceremony: "As the leading auto enterprise in China, Geely Auto has a close partnership with the city of Ningbo. Geely Auto's Beilun manufacturing base produces significant quantities of automobiles, gearboxes and engines in the local area, and the company has been named one of Ningbo's 'Excellent Private Enterprises'."

The Geely Emgrand, a flagship Geely Auto series, was launched in 2009, and has since generated total sales in excess of 500,000 units. It was also the first indigenous Chinese auto series to sell over 20,000 units in a single month. All Emgrand models have been awarded China New Car Assessment Programme (C-NCAP) five-star safety accreditation, and the Emgrand EC7 has been awarded a four-star European New Car Assessment Programme (E-NCAP) rating.

In 2014, China will host the APEC Informal Leadership Meeting and other related meetings for the first time since 2001. APEC's nomination of the Geely Emgrand as the official vehicle for this year's informal leadership meeting is a testament to the vibrant development of the Chinese automotive industry and the rising status of indigenous Chinese brands.

About Geely Holding Group:

Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. was founded in 1986 with its headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Geely Holding Group and its associated companies have established operations that span the automotive value chain, from research, development and design to production, sales and servicing.

SOURCE Zhejiang Geely Holding Group