Gasgoo.com (Shanghai August 23) - Great Wall's Tianjin factory has officially begun operation, the Beijing News reported today. The news was marked with production of the Haval H6 SUV.

The Tianjin factory has an annual production capability of 300,000 vehicles. In addition to the Haval H6 (pictured above), the site will be responsible for the production of other new models, including the Voleex C50 (pictured below).

Second-phase work hoping to increase the site's SUV production capability has already begun and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Third-phase construction work looking to start in 2013 and be finished by 2015. Great Wall hopes that the plant's annual production capability will reach 800,000 by 2015, constituting 40 percent of the manufacturer's total production output.