Chinese Factory Succeeds in U.S. Auto Market

A peasant-run factory has become the first Chinese business to succeed in the U.S. auto parts market and its boss is the first rural entrepreneur to tour America. reported the official Xinhua news agency.

The agency said Lu Guanqiu, director of the Hangzhou couplings factory in Zhejiang province, signed contracts in March to sell 200,000 auto transmission couplings to U.S. companies.

Lu toured New York, San Francisco and other cities from Feb. 25 through March 8 in an effort to secure more orders and discuss a Chinese-American joint venture to expand production.

The factory now employs 720 people and makes 500,000 couplings a year, the report said.