China's auto output exceeds 10 mln

Oct. 21, 2009 (China Knowledge) - China's auto output since the beginning of this year reached 10 million on Tuesday, making China the third country in the world to exceed the annual output mark, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The 10 millionth vehicle was the new model Jiefang truck rolled off the production line at the First Automobile Works (FAW) Group Corp in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province, yesterday.

Previously, only the U.S. and Japan surpassed the annual output figure of 10 million.

Despite the global financial crisis, China's auto industry maintained a rapid growth this year, thanks to the government's stimulus package for the sector launched earlier this year.

In the first nine months of this year, China's auto sales grew to 9.66 million units, 34.2% more than that in the same period of last year, according to an earlier report from China Knowledge.

China's auto production accounted for 13.3% of the world's total in 2008. The figure reflects a significant growth compared with 0.4% in 1978.