BEIJING -- A senior Chinese Leader Thursday urged the Chinese automobile industry to enhance indigenous technology while visiting an auto technology show here.

At the show of home-made and home-designed vehicles, the first of it's kind, Jia Qinglin urged the auto industry to invest more in research and development to make breakthroughs in the manufacture of cars of indigenous brands.

Jia, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said enhancing independent innovation capacity should be a main element in various undertakings of auto enterprises.

The auto show displays over 140 cars manufactured by 16 domestic companies.