China to surpass Germany

China's assemblers are likely to make and sell 6.4 million passenger cars, vans, buses and trucks in 2006, spurring the nation to surpass Germany as the world's third-largest vehicle maker, according to government research.

Vehicle sales in Asia's second-largest economy may rise by up to 13% this year to 5.6 million units, according to a paper presented at a National Development and Reform Commission conference Sunday in Beijing.

The growth forecast follows a recovery in consumer spending in the world's most-populous nation, with the economy expanding 9.4% in the third quarter. General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG said they sold more vehicles in China in the first nine months of 2005, even as sales fell in North America and Europe. Detroit Free Press