As BMW's senior management made their way to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing's Tiananmen Square yesterday, they were pleased to notice that their police escort was driving in a convoy of China-made BMW 5-series sedans.

They were on their way to the hall to announce BMW's plans to expand its production capacity ninefold in China to take advantage of booming sales in what is now the world's largest auto market.

But the symbolism of the BMW police escort goes beyond good manners on the part of the hosts. Earlier this year, the Chinese government added BMW to the list of approved government procurement vehicles for the first time, allowing it to join competitors Volkswagen and
Mercedes Benz as the official ride for China's ruling class of government mandarins.