BEIJING, April 7 (Reuters) - China's top electric

vehicle forum, the World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC)

will hold a conference in Sacramento, California from May 16-17,

according to a statement from the Chinese Society of Automotive

Engineers on Sunday.

With a highly developed, low cost supply chain led by

companies such as BYD and Geely, China is

a leading global exporter of EVs.

However, concerns over subsidies have made the issue a bone

of contention in relations between Beijing and Washington, as

the U.S. seeks to protect its domestic EV sector from Chinese

imports.

The WNEVC in Munich, Germany in September was the first time

the forum was held outside China. That was seen as a indication

of Chinese EV makers' ambitions for expansion.

(Reporting by Andrew Hayley

Editing by Ros Russell)