Carmakers may have to put brakes on China plans

Shanghai

CHINA delivered an unwelcome message to global carmakers last week when it predicted that sales growth may just match Europe's this year, fingers crossed.

Amid an equities rout that's wiped out as much as US$4 trillion in market value, the state-backed China Association of Automobile Manufacturers projected passenger-vehicle sales to grow about 6 per cent this year, possibly less if the stock market doesn't stabilise.

In Europe, car deliveries are projected to climb 5 pe…