A visitor watches a car displayed by FAW Hongqi during the 14th China-Northeast Asia Expo in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Aug. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan)

China's leading automaker, FAW Group Co., Ltd., reported surging vehicle sales in the first quarter (Q1) of this year.

FAW Group's auto sales exceeded 743,000 in the first three months of this year, up 9.5 percent year on year, according to the carmaker.

Of the group's total sales, its Hongqi car brand alone accounted for 100,300 units, a year-on-year increase of 64.3 percent.

FAW Group, founded in 1953 in the northeastern city of Changchun, Jilin Province, is regarded as the cradle of China's auto industry. The group has so far produced and sold more than 54 million vehicles under various car brands.