Nissan Motor has paused production at its Changzhou facility in China in order to improve operational efficiency, according to the Japanese carmaker. According to a Nissan spokeswoman, the Changzhou facility, which is jointly operated with Nissan's local partner Dongfeng Motor, produces approximately 130,000 Qashqai SUVs every year.

Nissan's overall manufacturing capacity in the world's largest auto market is 1.6 million vehicles, with the Changzhou factory accounting for 8% of that, according to the spokesperson, who reiterated the company's commitment to China.

The Japanese automaker operates eight factories in China through a joint venture with Dongfeng, but like other Japanese manufacturers, it has lost market share to fast-moving local rivals that are attracting drivers with a range of software-loaded electric vehicles priced at levels comparable to internal combustion engine cars.

Smaller rival Last year, Mitsubishi Motors chose to discontinue production at its Chinese joint venture. Mitsubishi is also Nissan's long-term partner in an agreement with French automaker Renault.

Nissan Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational vehicle manufacturer based in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The firm distributes its vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands, as well as the old Datsun brand, and produces in-house performance tuning items (including cars) under the Nismo and Autech brands.