CARACAS - Venezuela hopes Chinese automaker Chery will expand its plants in the South American country and boost production to meet Venezuela's demand, a top official said Friday.

Venezuelan Minister of Industries Jose David Cabello discussed with Zhou Biren, general manager of Chery International, "the expansion of assembly plants throughout the country... to satisfy our country's demand for vehicles," the minister said in Twitter posts.

President Nicolas Maduro's administration has a program in place that makes two Chery models assembled in Venezuela available to the public at fair prices. Official figures showed that about 7,000 of those cars were sold through the government program by June.

Chery currently has two assembly plants in Venezuela, with a capacity to produce up to 30,000 cars a year. The brand is highly popular in Venezuela thanks to its affordable price and good quality.

Other Chinese auto brands, such as Dongfeng and Haima, are also doing well in the Venezuelan automotive market.