(Yicai) March 15 -- Japanese auto giant Nissan will make several personnel changes next month to better adapt to market demands and changes, including appointing a new general manager of its joint venture in China.

Isao Sekiguchi, president of Nissan's Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, will step in as vice president of Nissan and GM of Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle on April 1, the Yokohama-based firm said yesterday. He will report to Shohei Yamazaki, senior vice president of Nissan and chairman of its China management committee.

Nissan and Chinese carmaker Dongfeng Motor Group set up the 50-50 JV Dongfeng Nissan in 2003. It develops passenger cars under the Nissan marque, commercial vehicles under the Dongfeng brand, and autos tailored for second and third-tier Chinese cities under the Venucia brand.

"This staff adjustment emphasizes decision-making that is more flexible, faster, and adaptable, enabling the company to respond more effectively to market demands and changing trends," Nissan said.

Masashi Matsuyama, vice president of Nissan's operations strategy office, was made head of the company's China strategy and special projects while remaining as GM of Nissan China Investment.

Nissan is cutting its production capacity in China by 30 percent, or around 500,000 vehicles, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on March 13. The company has not commented yet.

Nissan's sold 38,918 vehicles in the first two months of the year, down 31 percent from a year earlier. In the new energy vehicle field, it sold only 296 units of its sole battery model, the Ariya, with sales reaching 3,702 last year.

Nissan plans to introduce 10 locally developed NEV models to the Chinese market by the end of 2026, including some under the Nissan, Venucia, and Dongfeng brands, SVP Yamazaki said last November. The first independently developed NEV under the Nissan marque will be launched in the second half of this year, he added.

Editor: Martin Kadiev