"Chinese automobile manufacturers should make more efforts to develop their international brand identity as their products are going global," Zhu Huarong said in an interview with China.org.cn on Wednesday during the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) held in Beijing. 

Zhu is a deputy to the 13th NPC and a director of China Changan Automobile Group, one of China's traditional "Big Four" auto manufacturers.

Chinese auto brands are still unknown to foreign consumers compared with long-established international brands, which each have distinctive features such as greater safety, low fuel consumption and fashionable designs, the director said.

He suggested that domestic auto manufacturers attach more importance to international brand identity and market positioning to gain popularity among targeted consumers.

Zhu said that Chinese autos have advantages in quality and price.

"Chinese automakers have met international standards and are leading the industry in the application of new energy, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies," he explained.

"Many Chinese auto manufacturers have established overseas branches to ensure professional after-sales services," Zhu said.

He also pointed out the challenges Chinese auto manufacturers have encountered in expanding into overseas markets, saying that unfamiliarity with local political, economic and cultural circumstances is the biggest difficulty they need to overcome.

"Sometimes turbulence caused by political or economic crises also disrupted our development plans in a country," Zhu added.