Huawei is the latest Chinese tech giant to announce its intentions to compete in the automotive sector at the same level as the established automakers.

In a presentation to analysts on Monday, Huawei Co-Chairman Eric Xu said the company planned to invest in electric vehicles and self-driving technology, Bloomberg reported.

Xu's comments were made just a week after Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi said it planned to launch its own cars. Chinese search engine giant Baidu in January also announced a plan to launch cars.

Huawei is already a leader in self-driving technology, with its prototypes already able to handle complex urban environments. Xu said a prototype was able to cover 620 miles without the need for any corrections from the safety driver behind the wheel.

As for launching its own cars, Xu said Huawei will partner with three automakers to source cars carrying the Huawei name as a sub-brand. The automakers include BAIC, Changan and GAC.

BAIC is already benefiting from Huawei technology. At this month's Auto Shanghai 2021, BAIC's Arcfox brand will unveil an electric car fitted with lidar-based electric driver-assist features developed by Huawei.

Huawei has been forced to expand into new sectors due to recent sanctions made by the United States against the company surrounding alleged cybersecurity concerns and other issues. A number of other markets followed with similar restrictions, leading Huawei to focus more on its home market. The company is also expanding into agriculture and healthcare.