BMW denied China factory expansion

Automaker BMW’s (BMW.FRA) request to expand its factory in the northern Chinese city of Shenyang has been denied by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, raising concerns that other global automakers might find it more difficult to win government approval on future plant projects, Bloomberg reported. In a statement published on Tuesday, the ministry said it returned an expansion application, citing inadequate wastewater analysis and the plan’s failure to meet government anti-pollution targets. A spokesman from BMW said the ministry asked for additional documents and that the government decision on the project wasn’t final. Such events are routine, the spokesman said.