FAW-Volkswagen on Friday kicked off construction on a vehicle test track in northeast China’s Jilin province that will be the largest of its kind in China upon its completion in 2014.

The test track is being built in the provincial capital of Changchun with an investment of 1.3 billion yuan ($204 million). It will be used to test the maximum speed and durability of new vehicles under a variety of road conditions.

Klaus Dierkes, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group China, said the test track will help speed up the approval process for new models that are being developed and produced by the joint venture company.

Xu Jianyi, chairman of the China FAW Group Corporation, said the test track is the “fruit of cooperation” between FAW and Volkswagen Group China.

FAW and Volkswagen AG agreed in April to extend their joint venture for a 25-year period lasting from 2016 to 2041. They also promised to expand their cooperation by developing new models, new-energy cars and financial services.

The FAW-Volkswagen joint venture was set up on Feb 6, 1991. It has manufacturing centers in the cities of Changchun, Chengdu and Foshan.