Aerial photo taken on July 9, 2019 shows Audi vehicles awaiting transfer at the parking lot of FAW-Volkswagen in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province. The Sino-German auto joint venture FAW-Volkswagen said a record 311,871 Audi vehicles were sold in China in the first half of 2019, up 2.1 percent year-on-year. (Photo: Xinhua)

According to Volkswagen, the company sold some 10 million cars all over the world in 2018. Four million of these have been delivered to Chinese customers.

German carmaker Volkswagen told Xinhua on Tuesday at its headquarters here that Volkswagen's world today without China "would just be unthinkable."

"The history of Volkswagen and China, that is a long-lasting friendship of more than 40 years," said Dieter Landenberger, Head of Heritage at Volkswagen.

A staff member examines vehicles made by FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, July 9, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

Landenberger said that the reason for this friendship is also history. In 1978, a Chinese delegation visited the Wolfsburg-based company, showing their interest to know more about Volkswagen's production facilities.

File photo taken in 1990 shows an advertising board of Shanghai Volkswagen in Shanghai, east China. (Photo: Xinhua)

Later, Volkswagen also sent a delegation of engineers to China and realized that there is a big demand and chance in China, according to Landenberger.

"Since the beginning of the long story of success, China is now the most important market for Volkswagen," he said, adding that "now we have known each other for more than 40 years."

Landenberger also cherishes very much this friendship, which is "very precious and very valuable."

According to Volkswagen, the company sold some 10 million cars all over the world in 2018. Four million of these have been delivered to Chinese customers.

A worker assembles an Audi vehicle at FAW-Volkswagen factory in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, July 9, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)