BEIJING - China's passenger car sales continued to expand in October, as the better-than-expected economic recovery and export market has stabilized consumer confidence.

Retail sales of China's passenger vehicles, including sedans, sport-utility vehicles, minivans and multipurpose vehicles, rose 8 percent year on year to 1.99 million units last month, according to the China Passenger Car Association.

The October sales was up 4.1 percent month on month thanks to effective local sales promotions and positive market sentiment, said the association.

China's auto industry has recovered steadily from the COVID-19 epidemic due to the country's effective containment measures, which helped boost consumer sentiment.