China At a Glance

In order to better help the "less affluent but growing [Chinese] market," the Nissan Motor Co. is preparing to start a China-only brand. This new brand named Qichen, pronounced "chee chen," will begin production starting in 2012, with Nissan's joint venture Dongfeng Motor Group Co. The aim is to supply low income earning individuals, "in China's inland markets," with affordable cars. The development of the model will begin with Chinese engineers and designers because they cost less than the Japanese workers. Also, to save money, "global auto makers, such as Honda Motor Co., have transferred older existing technology" to their Chinese partners. Hopefully, by the end of the year, the Chinese will reach their goal of selling 600,000 vehicles.

After reading the article, I found it to be interesting, yet thoughtful that the auto industry in China is willing to create an automobile, primarily for those who make an annual salary of $7000. It shows that they really care about their people and are willing to make adjustments to better their lifestyle. It's a good way to help bring a nation together when they are going through difficult times.

Hopefully, the Chinese market will be able to achieve their goal and sell more cars by the end of this year, as they begin the process of constructing the new vehicle. Many other nations should take notice of what China is doing because it could be beneficial to other countries as well. I think that by 2014 the global economy will be able to see how well the Chinese are doing, and decide to help their citizens in a similar, if not the same, way.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704362404575479441663502752.html?mod=WSJ_auto_IndustryCollection