Addendum
Car sales in China smashed the one million-unit barrier in 2002 for the first time and exceeded two million in 2003. Car sales are expected to jump another 40 percent this year as the economy races ahead, putting money in the pockets of consumers.
Ford sold its first Model T on the mainland in 1913 before World War II cut short the company's China dream.
Its current facility, in the landlocked western city of Chongqing, rolled out its first cars only in January 2003, years behind the competition.
That plant is bumping up annual production from to 150,000. But this lags GM, which has unveiled plans to produce 766,000 units by 2006. And Volkswagen, the dominant player, wants to sell 1.6 million cars a year over a similar period.