Exclusive-China's Chery assembles cars in Russian plants vacated by Western rivals

Chinese carmaker Chery has started assembling cars in Russia for sale in the country at three factories vacated by Western rivals including Volkswagen and Mercedes, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters. Chinese carmakers have grabbed more than half of Russia's car market in terms of sales since most Western counterparts abandoned the country following Moscow's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Now, they are extending their reach to account for more of Russia's domestic production, too, highlighting how Beijing is playing a more influential role in Russia's changing manufacturing landscape and economy since the invasion.