BEIJING (Reuters) - Great Wall Motor 601633.SS aims to boost overseas sales this year, an official at China's top pickup truck maker said on Saturday, helping to ease an overall drop caused by COVID-19.

People leave the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China show, in Beijing, China September 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

The company plans to sell 70,000 vehicles outside China, up from 65,000 last year, Sun Guang, vice general manager at Great Wall’s international marketing department, told reporters at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2020.

Great Wall earlier this year forecast overall sales would fall to 1.02 million vehicles this year from last year’s sales of 1.06 million units.

International sales make up around 7% of Great Wall’s overall sales, and Great Wall plans to increase that gradually, Sun said.

Sun said the Baoding-based automaker plans to start building vehicles in Thailand and India next year, but did not offer detail. Great Wall said earlier this year that it would buy two plants in these countries from General Motors GM.N.

The company also plans to sell cars in the European Union.

Reporting by Yilei Sun and Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by William Mallard