THE country’s auto market grew at a sluggish pace of 2.8 percent in October, with U.S. and European carmakers expanding solidly at the expense of Japanese rivals.

    Slower economic growth has in turn affected the car market, and China’s auto industry association head Dong Yang told Reuters last month that 2014 vehicle sales may climb just 7 percent, much slower than last year’s 13.9 percent pace.

    Some 1.99 million new vehicles were sold last month, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said. For the year to the end of October, China’s vehicle sales rose 6.6 percent from the same period a year ago.

    General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG have outpaced industry growth so far this year.

    But Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. trimmed their China growth forecasts this month after four consecutive months of sales declines, with Japanese automakers suffering in part from tensions between the Chinese and Japanese government.

    General Motors on Thursday sold its three millionth vehicle in China in 2014, reaching the milestone a month earlier than last year. The figure represents about one-sixth of total vehicle sales in China.

    “We expect to launch 60 new or refreshed vehicles through 2018,” General Motors’ China president Matt Tsien said in a statement.

    Volkswagen, which competes with General Motors for the top spot in China, last week started building a new plant in East China that will make 300,000 vehicles a year upon completion.

    The German carmaker is aiming for double-digit growth in China, and is adding one dealership in the country almost every day.

    (SD-Agencies)