GM to Bring 20 New or Upgraded Models in China

General Motors sees China as a real paradise, especially because it keeps growing in terms of new cars sales, a fact which mostly translates into bigger sales for the US-based car giant. And because China is very likely to continue its growth in the next years, the company wants to debut around 20 new or redesigned vehicles there in the next two years, company CEO Dan Akerson said during a press conference in Beijing.

"China is central to our global strategy," he said according to The Canadian Press. "We want to understand the preferences that the China market wants. We bring our best designs, best technology to China."

Details on the models to be brought there are yet to be disclosed, but it's pretty clear that most of the company's models currently on sale in the United States will probably be sold in China as well, with production likely to begin in the country through its local joint ventures.

"China is a unique market sitting in what I think is probably the highest growth area in the next 10, 20, 30 years in Asia," Akerson said. "The old GM was burdened with so much debt, they had to cut back on funding of new product, new research and development during the down cycle because they had such a heavy debt load. We're not going to make that mistake again."

General Motors sold a total of 268,071 units in January in China, an increase of 22.3 percent over the first month of the last year, and more than the previous record of 230,038 units achieved in March 2010. GM thus reached a market share in China of 14.7 points. Passenger cars accounted to 131,944 units, an increase of 46.3 percent versus the first month of the previous year.