The rate of China's auto sales to production hit a record high of 101.9 percent in August, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported on Wednesday.

In August, China manufactured 375,200 autos, up 5.8 percent month-on-month, and sold 382,300, an increase of 10.5 percent from July.

China produced 3.4 million automobiles and sold 3.3 million in the first eight months of this year, with the ratio of sales to production 96.3 percent.

CAAM reported that car sales declined for five consecutive months beginning in March. The improvement in the August sales-to-production figure is attributed to automakers' adjusted marketing strategies.

With the week-long National Day holiday approaching, sales are expected to continue rising in September and October.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2004)