BEIJING, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Automakers in China shipped 29.3
percent more passenger cars to dealers in November, extending a
rebound that began in August as people rushed to showrooms before
incentives expire at the end of the year.

Demand would remain strong in December, industry observers
say, bolstered in part by aggressive year-end marketing campaigns
by automakers, but they predicted the market would slow sharply
in 2011.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Ford Motor (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), expecting record sales in China this year, is adding 100 dealers to its network, mostly in inland cities that are replacing big, coastal regions as the major growth driver in the world’s largest auto market.

The move, more aggressive than a previously announced scheme, will bring the number of its dealers in China to 340 by the end of the year, said Joe Hinrichs, president for Ford’s Asia and Africa operations, up from the original target of 310.

BEIJING, Nov 22 (Reuters) – General Motors , the biggest overseas
automaker in China, unveiled its first car under its newly created Baojun
brand on Monday, as it steps up expansion in 3rd- and 4th-tier cities that are
becoming its main growth driver in the world’s largest auto market.

The initiative, building on the success of GM’s Chevrolet new Sail,
represents a direct challenge to indigenous players such as BYD and
Geely Automobile Holdings , which now dominates smaller cities and
townships with affordable models.

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) – Automakers in China shipped 1.2
percent more passenger cars to dealers in October than a year
earlier, extending a rebound from August as people rushed to buy
cars before Beijing’s policy incentives expire at year-end.

But it was not a rosy picture across the board. General
Motors [GM.UL], Volkswagen (VOWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Ford Motor (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
continued to shine, but Toyota Motor (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and BYD (1211.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
saw their sales turning south for different reasons.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Major business groups from the United States, Japan and other rare earth consumers have urged the G20 group of major economies to press China to end export curbs of the metal ores.

The demand for world leaders to address underscores how quickly access to this niche of China’s mining output has risen as a business and political issue.

BEIJING (Reuters) – General Motors has started making an electric version of its popular Chevrolet New Sail in China and will roll out prototypes before year-end, making it the first foreign automaker to build electric cars in the world’s biggest auto market.

GM, the top foreign automaker in China, is well-positioned to get a head-start over its rivals in the country’s fledgling green vehicle business, which analysts say could be the next hotly contested sector.

BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) – General Motors [GM.UL] has started
making an electric version of its popular Chevrolet New Sail in
China and will roll out prototypes before year-end, making it the
first foreign automaker to build electric cars in the world’s
biggest auto market.

GM, the top foreign automaker in China, is well-positioned to
get a head-start over its rivals in the country’s fledgling green
vehicle business, which analysts say could be the next hotly
contested sector.

BEIJING, Nov 3 (Reuters) – Top Chinese automaker SAIC Motor
Corp (600104.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is close to making a decision on whether to buy
a stake in its long-time partner General Motors [GM.UL] as the
U.S. auto firm goes public, sources with knowledge of the matter
said on Wednesday.

SAIC, which operates manufacturing ventures with GM, has been
exploring the prospect of taking a stake upon Detroit automaker’s
more than $13 billion share sale. SAIC chairman Hu Maoyuan had
admitted publicly that he would not rule out such a possibility.
[ID:nTOE69E036]

BEIJING, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Nissan Motor’s (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) China
venture raised its 2012 sales target by 50 percent to 1.5 million
vehicles, a senior executive said on Monday, as it keeps ramping
up capacity in the world’s largest auto market.

Nissan, a relative new comer in China, has been accelerating
its expansions in the country along with partner Dongfeng Motor
Group Co (0489.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), a major Chinese state auto group.

BEIJING, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Air China (601111.SS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) (0753.HK: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
posted a near six-fold rise in third-quarter earnings on
Thursday thanks to robust air travel demand in the world’s
second largest economy as well as a big jump in investment
returns.

Leisure and business travel is expected to stay strong in
the fourth quarter, while a collective hike in airlines’ fuel
surcharges would help offset a rise in fuel prices this week,
industry observers say.