Fears that state-owned car giant’s hub will be used by China to spy on NATO
MADRID – Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC is one step closer to establishing a foothold at the heart of Spain’s defence industry as the state-backed firm prepares to build a major factory next to a naval port.
One of the bases for the future assembly plant is the outer port of Ferrol, a dual military-civil harbour, located in the northwestern region of Galicia, close to a naval shipyard.
In July, SAIC sent a logistics vessel to assess the port’s infrastructure readiness ahead of the company’s arrival amid a growing debate over the site of the Chinese firm’s first European electric vehicle assembly hub.
Ferrol’s natural bay is home to one of the key headquarters of the Spanish Navy and the national shipbuilder Navantia.
