SHANGHAI, China -- General Motors Corp. and Chinese partner SAIC announced Thursday a telematics joint venture, Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co., that will bring modern dashboard technology to China.

The venture is the first for GM subsidiary OnStar outside North America, the companies said.

It will provide vehicle safety, security and telecommunications services in China similar to those available in the U.S. and Canada, GM said in a statement.

Those services, to be available first in vehicles made by Shanghai GM, a GM joint venture with SAIC, include automatic crash notification, roadside assistance, remote door unlocking, hands-free phone calling, vehicle diagnostics and turn-by-turn navigation, it said.

"We are pleased to bring OnStar to Asia for the first time through Shanghai OnStar Telematics," Chet Huber, OnStar's president, said.

OnStar and SAIC each own 40 percent of the joint venture, with Shanghai GM, a 50-50 joint venture of GM-SAIC, owns the remaining 20 percent.