China's auto sales are estimated to have hit a new record high of 1.15 million units in April as government stimulus measures helped fuel demand, state media reported.
Government policies encouraging consumers to buy small vehicles continued to boost sales last month, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing estimates from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
The strong sales contrasted with weak figures in the United States, where the sales slumped 34.4 percent in April as consumers shied away from dealerships amid growing economic uncertainty.
China's auto sales outstripped the United States as the world's largest market for the first time in January on the back of government incentives to boost domestic consumption.
These measures included slashing purchase taxes on small vehicles with engines of 1.6 litres and under and subsidising alternative energy vehicles.
Chinese auto sales rose five percent in March from a year earlier to a record high of 1.11 million units.
Embattled US auto giant General Motors Corp said this week its vehicle sales in China hit a new monthly record in April, with sales up 50 percent from a year earlier to 151,084 units.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
