The automaker said in December that it was spending 25.5 billion yen ($310 million) to lift production capacity of its global multi-purpose vehicle IMV by a combined 100,000 units a year, in Thailand and Argentina, aiming to boost total capacity to 900,000 units by November 2011.

Another newspaper, Asahi, said Nissan Motor Co will double its annual output in China to 2 million units by means such as beefing up its plants, but it did not give any time frame.

Nissan in September planned to double its capacity in China by 2012 to 1.2 million units, and chief executive Carlos Ghosn has said Nissan would like to eventually take 10 percent of the China market.

Asahi said Nissan sees Chinese auto demand rising to 20 million units a year in the near future, adding there's a possibility that it will add a new plant in China.  ($1=82.31 Yen)