FAW Car Co Ltd, the listed unit of First Automotive Works Group, suspended trading of its shares yesterday after a report said it would buy core assets from its parent as part of FAW Group's back-door listing.

Shenzhen-listed FAW Car is expected to sell additional shares to acquire core assets of FAW Group, probably the group's stake in FAW Volkswagen Automobile Co Ltd, said 21st Century Business Herald, citing company sources.

A spokesman for Changchun, Jilin Province-based FAW Group, the nation's second largest auto maker, was not available for comment yesterday.

Zhu Yanfeng, general manager of FAW Group, said in the middle of this month that the car maker has been weighing various stock listing plans to fund the development of self-branded models as well as boosting production capacity.

"The back-door listing is the most efficient way for FAW Group to raise funds quickly," said an auto analyst surnamed Wang from China International Capital Corp Ltd.

FAW Group has three listed subsidiaries including FAW Car and Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd on the Shenzhen bourse, and FAW Sihuan Auto Co Ltd on the Shanghai stock exchange.

"Among the three candidates, FAW Car has the biggest possibility for FAW's controlling stake in addition to its important role in rolling out self-branded models," Wang told Shanghai Daily yesterday.