GM China sales rise 20% to record in November

US auto giant General Motors said its sales in China surged more than 20 percent in November from a year earlier to 237,130 vehicles, a company record for the month. Sales were supported by strong demand for passenger cars, including the Buick brand, the company said in a statement. China, which overtook the United States to become the world's top auto market in 2009, has become increasingly important for global players such as General Motors and Volkswagen. In the first 11 months of this year, GM sold around 2.35 million vehicles in China, up more than 8.0 percent from the same period last year. The rises in November and the 11-month period came despite a forecast slowdown for China's overall auto market this year from 2010. In September, GM China Group president Kevin Wale forecast China's total auto sales will reach 19 million units this year, marking growth of around five percent from the record 18.06 million units sold last year. Industry group the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers also expects growth in car sales for the whole of 2011 to be just five percent, down from an earlier forecast of 10-15 percent. Sales have lost some steam after Beijing phased out incentives such as tax breaks for small-engine vehicles.