British car exports to China up 5-fold

British car exports to China have increased five-fold since 2009, according to figures released on Thursday by a British industry body, driven by a demand for luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce and Jaguar.
The number of cars manufactured in Britain and exported to China stood at 137,410 in 2014, a 14.5 percent increase on the previous year and five times the number shifted in 2009, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in a statement.
British car exports to all destinations have increased by 54 percent since 2009 to 1.2 million vehicles in 2014, and the sector represented 11.2 percent of all British exports last year, a new record.
The rude health of the British motor industry has not escaped the notice of Prime Minister David Cameron, who goes to the polls seeking re-election on May 7 and praised the sector's performance during a visit to a Rolls-Royce plant on Wednesday.