Vehicle sales on road to recovery

5.3 % growth in first six months banishes fears of yearly downturn

BEIJING - Passenger vehicle sales are well on the road to recovery, after stalling in April and May, with 5.3 percent year-on-year growth in the first six months of 2011.

Analysts had voiced concerns at the possibility that 2011 could be the first year to record decreasing sales after April recorded the first year-on-year drop since 2009. This, along with poor sales in May, sparked fears of a downturn for the whole year.