FAW had an edge, now it struggles to sharpen it; Old government ties give it 'guanxi' but hinder performance.(News)(First Autoworks)

Automotive News Europe,  November, 2003  by Treece, James B.

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Byline: James B. Treece

China's auto industry began here in the far northeast, in a series of stark red-brick buildings that are still well-maintained and well-used.

Founded in 1953 in what once was Manchuria to build trucks, China First Automobile Group, or FAW, was China's first auto manufacturer. Much remains here of FAW's origins, such as a memorial stone with calligraphy contributed by Mao himself.

The architecture of the buildings beside the entry road is that of Soviet-era Chinese communism. The signs suggest a company town: FAW No. 4 Middle School, FAW University ...

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