Huaxin Cement recently opened a clinker line in Weiyuankou, Yangxin county, Hubei province, central China, with a production capacity of 6000tpd.  The line will increase the annual cement production capacity of Huaxin Cement by 2.5Mta generating 600 mln Chinese yuan ($72.5m) in annual sales and 60 mln yuan ($7.2m) in profit.  Huaxin Cement has opened in recent years several clinker and cement plants in Wuhan, Yichang and Huangshi, all located on the Yantze river in Hubei; in Xiantao, near Wuhan; and in Nantong, in the Yantze delta area in eastern China.  Huaxin Cement was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 1993 and Holcim has built up a 23.4 per cent stake.

Huaxin is also building a 2.2 bln Chinese yuan (US$266m) cement plant in Wuxue, Hubei, the Chinese News Digest reported in November 2003. The first production line will start operations in 2005. The plant will produce 6.5Mta after all three production lines are completed by 2008.