China's auto sales rise 11 per cent in July

In this April 28, 2012 file photo, visitors check cars displayed at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. China's auto sales rose 11 percent in July despite weakness elsewhere in the world's second-largest economy, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, an industry group said Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012. (AP / Alexander F. Yuan, File)

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The Associated Press
Published Thursday, August 9, 2012 9:38AM EDT

BEIJING - China's auto sales rose 11 per cent in July despite weakness elsewhere in the world's second-largest economy.

An industry group, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, said Thursday that passenger car sales rose to 1.12 million in July.

Sales growth in the world's biggest auto market by vehicles sold is stronger than that of the United States and Europe but has fallen since a stimulus-driven boom in 2010.

July's sales growth was an improvement of the previous month's 9 per cent despite a slowdown in retail sales and factory output.