General Motors Co. announced that it has named a new president to oversee operations in its growing and increasingly important China region to succeed Bob Socia, who is retiring after working nearly four decades with the company. The company said Matthew Tsien, vice president of planning and program management for GM China and GM Consolidated International Operations and Strategic Alliances for China since January 2012, will move into the president role.

Socia is retiring effective Jan. 1. Tsien will become the third GM China president since fall 2012. Socia, formerly GM's vice president of global purchasing and supply chain, was appointed GM China president effective Oct.

1, 2012. He succeeded a retiring Kevin Wale, who had held the role in China since 2005.Tsien will report to Akerson and will become a member of the company's Executive Operations Committee. Tsien also will help oversee about $11 billion of investment in China through 2016, which will add assembly plants and boost annual production capacity to 5 million vehicles.