Mazda Motor Corporation is planning on doubling its dealership network in China. With this, it hopes that its sales will increase up to 80 percent in 2008 since China is the world’s second largest auto market.

Mazda has 104 dealerships in China as of the moment but come April 2008, the Japanese automaker is planning on increasing it up to 220 dealerships.

The head of Mazda’s Chinese business, Kiyoshi Ozaki, said that Mazda’s target sales for 2008 fiscal year is 180,000 vehicles, 100,000 more than 2007. The production capacity of the Japanese automaker in China is 300,000 vehicle a year and its other partnerships are not yet being fully utilized. But still, Mazda is scrambling to fight its way amidst the competitive auto market in China even though it meant cutting prices of its vehicles.

Mazda and its local partner, First Automobile Works, will cut the price of the Mazda6 wagons made in China in August. It will cut it by almost 20 percent when it sells it in Guangdong, a southern province in China.

But all is not bad. Mazda three-way tieup with Ford and Changan, the Changan Ford Mazda Automobile was able to sell 150,365 vehicles in the period of January to September. This is a 59 percent increase of sales so Mazda is hopeful that it will have “another surprise year” in 2008.