GM China syndrome

SHANGHAI: General Motors is planning to make Shanghai the leading automotive development center in Asia.

It has agreed to build a US$2 billion car development joint- venture facility in the rapidly developing Chinese city.

The joint venture, with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, will be built at the Pudong New Area of Shanghai and produce current-model GM Buicks as the first-generation product.

These will be released late next year. The partners also hope to design and build a second model by 2000.