LEVERKUSEN, Germany - Bayer AG announced plans for a major expansion program in China involving the construction of an integrated chemicals and health-care manufacturing complex at Caojing, near Shanghai. Bayer said it plans to invest $3.4 billion in the project by 2008, with construction scheduled to begin early in November..

The company said the manufacturing complex will include "a network of world-scale plants" to produce coatings raw materials, polyurethane raw materials, thermoplastics, and basic chemicals, with uses in the automotive, electronics, furniture, and construction markets. The project represents one of the largest investments in China by German industry, the company said.