Chinese vehicle manufacturer the Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) officially opened its 88 969 m2 semi-knocked-down vehicle assembly plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone, near Port Elizabeth, late last month. Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Xi Jinping presided over the launch through a live video link from Gauteng as part of Xi’s State visit to South Africa last month. The event marked the completion of the first phase of the plant, with further phases to follow. During the opening, BAIC announced that the full-scale production of its compact sports utility vehicle, the BAIC X25, would start in the fourth quarter.