Nissan says room left to build more cars at existing China plants

FILE PHOTO: An employee works along a production line at a factory of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Co. in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China, in this November 12, 2015 file picture. REUTERS/Stringer/Files

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Ltd's Chinese joint venture factories in Zhengzhou and Xiangyang still have the capacity to build more vehicles, and the Japanese automaker will prioritize using those plants before building a new one, a senior executive said.

Speaking to reporters at Nissan's headquarters in Yokohama on Thursday, Senior Vice President Jun Seki, who heads Nissan's Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd, said the partners planned to announce details regarding a new factory they are considering by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, the joint venture partners said they planned to boost annual sales in China to 2.6 million vehicles by 2022 from 1.5 million last year.

(Reporting by Maki ShirakiWriting by Chang-Ran KimEditing by Christopher Cushing)