Although car sales appear to be slowing in general in China, a number of companies have now reported growth.

A host of car firms have reported sales growth in China this year, with some of the world's biggest auto giants increasingly being drawn to the country.

Troy Clarke, vice-president of General Motors (GM), told China Daily: "China is still the most dynamic and best place in the auto world today."

The latest increase in car sales could provide a boost for the platinum sector, as car manufacturers look for more pgms to use in cars to meet demand.

This week the 11th Shanghai International Auto Show was held which saw most companies planning to increase or maintain their vehicle production in China.

"China's auto market is continuing to see strong growth - no longer stratospheric growth, but steady eight to ten per cent annually. And there are no other markets of this size anywhere that offer car sales growth of eight to ten per cent annually," Mark Schulz, president of Ford's Asia Pacific operations, added.

However, recent figures have shown that general vehicle sales in China fell by 1.16 per cent to 1.27 million in the first three months of the year.