Ford to move Asia headquarters to China

Shanghai, June 19 (Gasgoo.com) Ford Motor Co. confirmed yesterday that it will move its headquarters for the Asia, Pacific and Africa regional headquarters to China from Thailand, xinhuanet.com reported.

Ford didn't disclose which city has been selected, although published reports suggest Shanghai will likely become home to Ford's new Asia-Pacific headquarters. "Our leadership team, with supporting corporate functions, will be moving to China," said Ford spokeswoman Whitney Foard Small.

However, key operations will remain in Bangkok of Thailand, which will continue to serve as regional headquarters for Ford's operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. The spokeswoman said the Thailand's political unrest in recent years did not factor into Ford's decision.

The move is said to be part of the company's continued integration of its once-disparate global operations, a key element of Chief Executive Alan Mulally's "One Ford" strategy. While the move will improve management efficiency, it also places Ford in the world's biggest auto market. China has been surpassing the U.S. in car sales this year.

Ford Motor China reported sales of 306,306 vehicles in 2008. The company makes the Ford Fiesta and Transit in the country and sells a variety of its other products there, including Lincolns and Volvos.

Ford Motor's passenger vehicle-making joint venture in China sold 27,839 cars in May, up 48.7% from a year earlier. Sales at the venture, Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Co., rose 10.6% year on year to 110,796 units in the first five months.

The headquarters relocation by Ford Motor comes five years after competitor General Motors Corp (GM). moved its regional headquarters to Shanghai from Singapore.