Qinghong said the joint venture, Guangqi Fiat, will start production in July. "After talks between the two shareholders, we will introduce the Alfa Romeo brand to the venture company," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Guangzhou auto show on Monday.

But he did not say when the cars will go on sale. "We are still discussing the timetable," he said.

Guangqi Fiat, which will have an initial capacity of 140,000 units, will be developed into a multibrand manufacturer, he added.

Chrysler Group, which is managed by Fiat, said earlier this year that it was "aggressively" exploring the possibility of building more vehicles in China and could build cars and trucks there through the Guangzhou Auto and Fiat joint venture.

Despite slowing growth, Alfa Romeo is seen to be the latest high-end automobile brand from Italy braving China's already crowded luxury auto market.

Audi AG, BMW AG and Daimler AG each produce luxury models in the world's largest auto market.