Great Wall Motor is reportedly taking over Zotye Auto’s production factory in Linyi, Shandong Province, a local media outlet reported on February 8th.

TANK 300; photo credit: Great Wall Motor

Sources close to the matter said that the former Zotye factory is currently hiring and will be producing Great Wall Motor vehicles from now on.

Earlier, on November 28th, 2021, Great Wall Motor inked an agreement with the Linyi municipal government regarding an automobile and auto parts manufacturing base in the city.

It is an open secret among local Linyi residents that Great Wall Motor is taking over the Zotye factory, the local media said. Moreover, the address of the former Zotye factory is now shown as “Great Wall Motor Linyi Branch”, on the country’s most-used navigation platform, Gaode Map or AutoNavi).

Nonetheless, when asked about the matter, Great Wall Motor responded that the previous auto manufacturing base agreement was signed only between Great Wall Motor and the municipal government of Linyi, with no other parties involved.

The Linyi auto manufacturing base project consists of an automobile production plant with 120,000-vehicle designed capacity and a base for engines and auto parts. According to Great Wall Motor, the project will attract more than ten companies within the industry to settle in the city, creating tens of thousands of job opportunities.