SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- German automaker Volkswagen AG has opened an auto plant in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, the company said Friday.
The factory, about 300 kilometers west of Shanghai, will have an initial capacity of 60,000 vehicles a year, VW said in a statement.
Volkswagen modified an existing auto plant to suit production of its Santana Vista and trained about 1,200 of its employees at the company's joint venture in Shanghai with Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp., it said.
The company also has a joint venture with state-owned China FAW Group, FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co.
Volkswagen sold about 910,000 vehicles to customers in China in 2007. The new plant was needed to expand capacity, it said.
The company says it holds a market share of 18 percent in China, including Hong Kong.
