SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd.

SAIC Motor is a Chinese state-owned automaker based in Shanghai. Founded in 1955, SAIC is one of China's three biggest automakers, alongside FAW and Dongfeng Motor. SAIC has established joint ventures with major Western automakers, including Volkswagen of Germany and General Motors of the U.S. In addition to producing and selling foreign brand vehicles in China, SAIC has also focused on the development of its own-brand vehicles in recent years, and has a bus and truck manufacturer under its wing.

The company set up a joint venture with Volkswagen in 1984 to produce the Santana passenger car, as part of the Chinese government's reform and opening-up policy. That was the first joint venture with foreign capital for a Chinese automaker, and played a central role in the country's increased use of automobiles.

In 1997, SAIC signed a joint-venture contract with GM to produce and sell its Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac brands. In 2002, SAIC established SAIC-GM-Wuling Automotive, a joint venture with GM, to increase SAIC's share of the market for small, cheap commercial vehicles.

SAIC released its own brand sedan, the Roewe, in 2006. Although the automaker is trying to strengthen its own-brand vehicles to break away from foreign capital, sales are still comparatively small. SAIC is also expanding overseas operations. It has established an automotive joint venture in Thailand with the Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group.

SAIC Chairman Chen Hong studied electrical engineering at Tongji University in Shanghai. Chen was sent on loan to Shanghai General Motors in 1997 to help with the establishment of the joint venture. He stayed with the company until 2003, but is said to still have strong connections with GM.