China's 2011 auto sales expected to exceed 18 mln

China's auto sales and output this year are set to surpass those of last year's 18 million units despite curbs on purchases, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said in a report on Friday. In the first 11 months, auto output and sales grew about 2 percent year-on-year to 16.73 million units and 16.82 million units, respectively, according to the report. In November, output and sales both exceeded 1.65 million units, which hit a high level in 2011 and was still less than that of the same period a year ago due to a higher comparison basis. With one month to go, it is inevitable that the annual output and sales will surpass that of last year, the report said. China overtook the United States as the world's largest auto market in 2009.