GM Excels inChina

摘要

"China is a market that, within a decade, may surpass the United States as the world's largest," GM chairman Rick Wagoner told reporters on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Motor Show. He added, "China is a place where our technology could have an especially beneficial impact." With vehicle sales in the U.S. plummeting at a rapid pace and Western Europe's economy potentially slowing, China presents a rare opportunity for GM: double-digit percentage sales growth and increasing profits. Sales of GM vehicles in China increased by 18.5°/o in 2007 to more than 1-million vehicles, compared to a 6% sales decline in the U.S. during the year. GM's Asia Pacific operations contributed $744-million in earnings before taxes in 2007-up from $403-million in 2006-while its North American operations drained cash to the tune of $1.5-billion, on top of the $ 1.6-billion loss reported in 2006.