Huatai Automobile Co Ltd, China's privately-owned maker of sports utility vehicles(SUVs), said it aims to go public in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange next year.

The Beijing-headquartered company, a partner of South Korea's Hyundai Motor under technical licensing deals, is preparing to establish a joint-stock unit to pave the way for its Hong Kong listing, Huatia said in a statement to the journalist.

"We will depend on our strong performance and bumper profits to achieve our listing plan," the company said.

However, Huatai did not reveal the size of capital. It plans to raise from the stock market.

Its sales jumped by 200 percent in the first 11 months of this year from a year earlier, Huatai said, without giving a specific figure.

The company which sold 10,000 SUVs last year, produce its oun brand Jitian and Hyundai's Terracan SUVs in its plant in East China's Shandong Province.

Analyst say Huatai's listing plan is in an attempt to win favour from Hyundai, which also has three other partners in China.

Hyundai runs another auto vechicle joint venture with State-run Beijing Automotive Investment Co Ltd.

Kia Motors, owned by Hyundai, has a car joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp, one of China's biggest automakers-and Yueda Group, and industrial group in East China's Jiangsu Province.

Hyundai has also agreed with Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd in East China's Anhui Province to form a commercial vehicle joint venture. "We are an important member for Hyundai to achieve its plan of producing 1 million vehicles in China(annually by 2010 we want to co-operate more closely with Hyundai." Huatai said.

"If Huatai is willing to merge with Beijing Automotive Investment (or Dongfeng) , things will be easier." said Zhang Xin, an analyst with Guotai and Jun'an Securities Co Ltd.

The auto policy permits foreign automakers to have more than two joint venture partners to merge other local firms.

Both the Beijing auto firm and Dongfeng are seeking Hong Kong listings and merges of small auto makers in China for further expansion.

Hyundai is playing rival among different partners in China to gain bargaining power as are many other foreign automakers," said Jia Xinguang from China Automotive Industry Consulting and Development Corp.