Tan said his group developed the first powertrain for commercial vehicles in the world in 2005, and in so doing changed a "difficult situation" for China which up until then had no control over the core technologies related to heavy-duty powertrains.

Tan said the debut of the new powertrain system in Hong Kong marked a new stage, in that a Chinese company now controlled the most advanced powertrain development technologies and would lead the market in their development in the coming years.

Tan said the three core components in the powertrain — engine, transmission and axles — were all produced in China.

He said Weichai had paid close attention to refining their technologies over the past decade, investing a total of 15 billion yuan ($2.39 billion) on engine development.

In addition to that major financial commitment, the company has also strived to improve its customer services. The company has established an effective automotive aftermarket service platform that undertakes to provide aftersales services throughout the life cycle of its products.

Weichai has established 31 overseas offices and 398 service centers internationally, to provide repair and maintenance services to global clients.

According to Weichai, the 12-meter tour bus delivered on March 28 was tailor-made to the requirements of its client, Hong Kong bus services provider Great Leader Bus Holdings Ltd.

The bus is lightweight, and its other features include high safety and reliability, fuel economy, and a big interior space.

"Weichai and Fengtai's core competitiveness is that we can accurately understand our clients needs and provide a quick response to their demands," said Lin Jian, deputy general manager of Fengtai.