Shanghai, January 25 (Gasgoo.com) Japanese automakers are making every effort to capture larger market shares in China, which surpassed the United States as the world's biggest auto market last eyar, Kyodo News reported over the weekend.
Nissan Motor, whose sales in China last year rose 48% to a record 518,968 units, plans to raise its annual local production capacity to more than 1 million units by the end of this year, up from current 875,000 units. The company will launch a second factory in Zhengzhou this year and increase capacity at a plant in Guangzhou.
Honda Motor saw its 2009 sales in China grow 22.5% to 576,000 vehicles and aims for annual local production of 710,000 units in 2012, up from the current 610,000 units, industry officials said. Honda is preparing its fifth vehicle production plant in central China's Wuhan city.
Toyota Motor Corp also plans to raise its production capacity in China to the level of 920,000 units from the present 802,000 units, after its sales in China last year rose 21% to 709,000 vehicles. In November the company said it aimed to sell about 800,000 cars in China next year.
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the only one major Japanese carmaker not making cars in China, is now "looking for a local tie-up partner," and will begin local production in the next two to three years, President Ikuo Mori told reporters recently.
The Japanese carmakers have raised their targets and increased investment in China, while cutting their domestic sales targets and production. China sold 13.5 million new vehicles in 2009, up from 9.38 million units in 2008.
