SHANGHAI: Brussels-based Westinghouse Air Brake Co (WABCO) has more than doubled its investment in its Qingdao factory to meet projected demand for automotive parts, mainly for heavy-duty vehicles.

WABCO has invested $19 million to expand its manufacturing facilities in Shandong Province's Qingdao, said Liu Liang, its Asia-Pacific president. The Qingdao factory was established in 2004 with an initial investment of $16 million. The company entered the China market in 1996 with a joint venture in Jinan, also in Shandong.

"China is one of our key engines for global expansion, and we are speeding up our efforts to follow the Chinese market's fast development," said Liu.