According to the latest data issued by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), in May this year Chinese auto sales totaled 1.6 million units, decreasing 1.1 percent compared to the previous month and up by 16 percent compared to May 2011. China's automobile output in May this year was 1.57 million units, falling 4.6 percent month on month and up 16.2 percent compared to the same month last year.
In the first five months of the year, Chinese auto sales and output were both 8 million units, up 1.7 percent and 3.2 percent respectively, compared to the same five months of 2011.
In particular, in the first five months of 2012, the total sales and output of passenger cars amounted to 6.33 million and 6.34 million units, rising by 5.5 percent and by 7.1 percent compared to the same period of last year respectively. Meanwhile, commercial vehicle sales and output in China in the given period amounted to 1.7 million units and 1.66 million units respectively, falling by 10.3 percent and 9.33 percent year on year.