BAIC African rally gathers speed

Auto behemoth deepens overseas expansion with new plant in Port Elizabeth

There was a time when China's State-owned automobile enterprises such as Beijing Automotive Industry Corp found revenue rolling in easily from sales of vehicles made by their joint ventures with foreign companies to government departments. But, as their ambitions grew and the domestic market matured, they sought greener pastures overseas.

In line with that trend, BAIC, one of the five largest automobile manufacturers in China in terms of sales volume, has set up a manufacturing facility in South Africa. Its annual production capacity will be 50,000 vehicles by the end of 2019.