GM is providing its Shanghai customers with a powerful additional tool against car theft, by making Remote Ignition Block (RIB) service standard in OnStar-equipped vehicles.

After a customer has notified police of a car theft, the police will notify OnStar and OnStar can remotely disable the car's engine.

The engine can only be restarted when OnStar disables the RIB system.

OnStar's Stolen Vehicle Location service has been available in China since 2009, and has 450,000 of its 6 million global customers in the country. OnStar-equipped vehicles in China will receive free RIB upgrades.

"RIB provides a robust safety mechanism for customers to retrieve their stolen vehicles more quickly and safely, while providing assistance to cars owner and police," Diane Jurgens, managing director of Shanghai OnStar, said in a statement. "It demonstrates our commitment to public security and to further improving the interconnected and smart driving experience."

Services already available to Shanghai OnStar customers include: automatic crash response, emergency services notification, airbag deployment response, vehicle diagnostics, mobile application, on-demand diagnostics, Good Samaritan, remote door unlock, remote horn and lights, roadside assistance, hands-free calling, Point of Interest, turn-by-turn navigation, and OnStar Destination Download.

It is in GM's interest to keep Chinese buyers happy. China represents the largest auto market in the world and GM cars are its biggest seller. And while some carmakers in China have seen their sales dip, GM sales continue to see gains, according to dailyfinance.com.

It is also in GM's interest to enhance its telematics offerings in China. A recent article in EE Times Asia predicts that in-vehicle telematics will soon be a multi-billion-dollar industry in the Asian country.

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