China's auto market maintains strong growth in January-May

BEIJING -- China's auto production and sales logged double-digit increases in the first five months of the year, a sign of vibrant consumption in the world's second-largest economy.

The country's auto output totaled 12.83 million units during the period, up 12.7 percent from a year ago, while auto sales rose 10.9 percent to 12.75 million units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Wednesday.

In particular, new energy vehicles production surged 45.2 percent year-on-year to nearly 5.7 million units in the first five months, with sales up by 44 percent year-on-year to 5.61 million units.