BEIJING -- China's auto sales expanded 13.5 percent year-on-year to nearly 1.98 million units in February, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Friday.

Auto sales in the January-February period totaled 3.63 million units, down 15.2 percent year-on-year, according to the data.

In February alone, sales of passenger vehicles went up 10.9 percent to over 1.65 million units.