The burgeoning strength of the Chinese automotive market has been underlined with the news that Ford has already doubled its total car sales for 2003 this year.

The automotive giant told Reuters it had already sold 34,000 cars through its joint venture in China to date this year.

The firm is now on track for its sales target of 65,000 cars for the year, with Ford expecting continuing growth.

Last week Ford announced plans to team up with Japanese partner Mazda in a bid to establish another car factory in the east of China.

The plant will be managed by Ford's joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile.

Ford has set aside $1 billion for expansion in the region, with all the major automotive firms targeting the Asian economic powerhouse as a source of major growth.

While the rate of growth has slowed in China in recent months, the underlying trend has remained positive, with automotive manufacturers confident of a sustained period of development.