Toyota aims to make at least 2.5 million vehicles a year in China by 2030, three people said, an overhaul that will see it bring its Chinese sales and production operations closer together and allow local executives a freer hand in development.

The plan, which has not been previously reported, represents a strategic pivot by the world¡¯s top selling automaker in the world¡¯s largest car market, underlining its ambition to claw back business lost to BYD and other local players in recent years.

Toyota¡¯s strategy is in contrast to that of other global automakers, including Japanese ones, that are either scaling back or pulling out of China.