HONGQI

About: 

• The Hongqi is a luxury Chinese car used by leaders of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) from the time of its founder Mao Zedong.
  
  
• In Chinese, hongqi means the red flag.
  
  
• A symbol of “Made in China”, Hongqi’s history dates back to 1958, when the state-owned First Automotive Works (FAW) launched it for the Communist Party of China (CPC) elite.
  
  
• Xi had introduced the practice of using the Hongqi, similar to the U.S. President travelling in a specialised Cadillac vehicle named ‘The Beast’.
  
  
• The move was seen as an attempt to promote the Chinese brand on the international stage, in line with Xi’s own 2012 directive to Communist Party cadre that they must eschew foreign wheels in favour of Chinese vehicles.