BEIJING - China's auto sales rose 36.6 percent year-on-year to 10.88 million units in the January-May period as business activities continued to pick up pace amid sustained economic recovery, data from an industry association showed on Friday.

Sales of passenger vehicles increased 38.1 percent year-on-year to 8.44 million units during the first five months of the year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In May alone, auto sales totaled 2.13 million units, down 3.1 percent year-on-year.