Audi

German automaker Audi AG said it sold 38,838 vehicles in China (including Hong Kong) in the first six months of this year, compared to 19,996 in the same period of last year.

The company built 457,806 vehicles in the first half of this year, a year-on-year rise of 10.7 per cent.

The firm expects the global car market to make further progress in the second half of this year, with China remaining the driving force.

Unilever

Consumer goods giant Unilever reported that its global turnover increased 5.8 per cent in the first half of the year, with underlying sales growth of 3.4 per cent.

Improved distribution and innovations related to brands such as Omo, Zhonghua, Lux and Pond's helped Unilever secure a greater slice of the market and contributed to its share gains.

The company enjoyed underlying sales growth of 30 per cent in China in the first half of 2006.

"We are still underweight in China. Our business there is only one-third the size of that in India," said Unilever Group Chief Executive Patrick Cescau. "But thanks to high-quality innovation and better distribution, Unilever's share of wallet in this huge consumer market is growing fast," he added.