SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Jaguar Land Rover expects premium car sales to continue to grow this year in China, the automaker's chief finance officer for China said.

Tim Howard was speaking to reporters at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show. Jaguar Land Rover has started making its first plug-in hybrid vehicles in China.

Overall auto sales in China surged in March for a 12th straight month, as the world's biggest car market leads the sector's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Clarfies in para 2 following company statement to say production of plug-in hybrid vehicles has already started (not will start).)

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Himani Sarkar)