Haixiang Wang, business development director for GKN Driveline's GKN Group in China, said the company will build a 44,000-square-meter plant scheduled to open during the first half of 2009 in Wuhan.

Speaking at recent press briefings in Beijing, Wang said the Shanghai GKN (SDS) facility in Wuhan initially will supply driveshafts for Dongfeng and Dongfeng's joint-venture programs with Honda and Citroen. Expected to provide more than 600 jobs, the plant will have an annual production capacity of more than a million driveshafts. The company also showcased technology from its 10 existing Chinese production facilities during the recent Beijing International Auto Show.

The first major European automotive supplier to invest in China, GKN is the country's leading producer of driveline components. GKN Driveline currently has automotive manufacturing operations in Kangqiao, Zhoupu and Shenjiang in Pudong, Shanghai, as well as plants in Chongqing and Jilin.