SHENYANG -- German luxury carmaker BMW on Thursday announced its upgraded strategy in the Chinese market, with three new or upgraded plants to open in 2022.

At its New Year media conference, BMW Group China said it is determined to continue its close cooperation with China's automobile industry and attaches importance to Chinese market demands in new product development.

"What moves China today will move the world tomorrow. It is a perfect place and a great partner for the BMW Group to drive transformation," said Nicolas Peter, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for finance and China affairs.

"Next year, three new or upgraded plants will open in Shenyang and Zhangjiagang. We will soon be launching the second BMW battery electric vehicle (BEV) from Shenyang. It is a fully electric 3-series, further enhancing China's position as one of BMW Group's top three new energy vehicle production bases in the world," Peter added.

Echoing China's green initiative, the group is also accelerating its BEV product offense in China. In 2021, the sales volume of the all-electric BMW iX3 is expected to reach 20,000 units in its first complete sales year. In 2022, BMW will present five BEVs to Chinese customers, and by the end of 2023, the group will offer about 13 BEVs in the Chinese market.

By 2025, a quarter of the BMW Group's sales in China will be BEVs, it added.

The group said it has established its largest R&D and digital footprint outside Germany in China, with a team of over 1,650 employees, including around 600 software developers.