China auto market seen cruising to another strong year

SHANGHAI/DETROIT: The world's biggest auto market will likely sustain the momentum it regained in 2013, helped by an anticipated array of economic stimulus measures and robust demand for cars in the smaller cities of China's interior regions, according to industry executives and analysts.

The new year should mark a second year of double-digit growth for China after sales expansion rates slumped in 2011 and 2012 to 2.45% and 4.33%, respectively. In the previous 10 years, auto demand in China often surged 30% to 40% annually.