Volkswagen followed the next year with its joint venture in Shanghai, and General Motors established Shanghai GM in 1997.

FORBES: Winners And Losers In China's Car Market

At the new technical center near Shanghai, GM and its Chinese partners are jointly developing new cars based on GM components, including such high-tech elements as electric-car batteries, dual-clutch transmissions and lightweight materials.

WSJ: Edward Niedermeyer: Welcome to General Tso's Motors

The first big one was between GM and SAIC, set up when GM won the bid for a JV in Shanghai in 1995.

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