China's small auto makers are aiming high in their export goals this year based on their steady overseas business expansion over the past year, the China Automobile newspaper has reported.

The paper said China's export of automobiles developed and manufactured by the small auto makers is increasing rapidly over the past year. In the first 11 months of 2004, China exported 117,400 self-manufactured vehicles, up 187 percent over the same period of the previous year.

In 2004, China exported 9,335 cars, an increase of 227 percent over 2003, a record high, the trade paper said.

The automobiles exported are mainly manufactured by China's small auto makers, such as the Chery Automobile Company Ltd. in east China's Anhui Province, which exported more than 6,000 whole vehicles to Syria, Iraq, Iran and Egypt last year.

Another private car maker, the Geely Group, exported 4,846 vehicles to 29 countries and regions in the Middle East, North Africa, South and Central America in 2004.

The Hebei Zhongxing Automobile Co. Ltd exported 6,318 vehicles last year to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

This is how China's small auto makers seek to survive in the fierce competition with the auto giants at home.

According to statistics, China's five top auto makers sold about 3.5 million vehicles in 2004, making up 68.8 percent of the country's total auto sales. This left little room for the small auto makers to develop.

Chen Zhenhua, vice executive president of the Zhongxing Automobile Co. Ltd, said the fierce competition in the domestic auto market forced the small auto producers to try to open new markets overseas.

He predicted that the small auto makers would step up their overseas business expansion this year.

The Chery Automobile Company Ltd plans to export 50,000 automobiles this year. The Geely Group aims to export two-thirds of its manufactured vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Commerce has also worked out policies to encourage auto makers to export vehicles and spare parts by giving them support in loans and export credit.