China's top car brands took to the stage at a major show in Detroit this week. Analysts say the automakers are using the opportunity to showcase ambitions to explore the overseas market.

Chinese automaker BYD Auto Company pitched its F3DM plug-in electric hybrid car to U.S. consumers on Monday at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and said it plans to begin selling its vehicles here in 2011.

Shrinking demand, which threatens the survival of several makers, set the stage for the Detroit auto show, the industry's biggest event. The financial crisis has made North American auto consumption shrink sharply, putting many car makers on the verge of collapse.