BEIJING, May 17 (Reuters) - Audi , the luxury arm of German carmaker Volkswagen , said on Monday it planned to sell as many as 80,000 cars in China this year, up from 63,000 last year.
Audi planned to sell "between 70,000 and 80,000 cars in China this year", board member Erich Schmitt told reporters.
Audi, which has been struggling to expand profits worldwide, said in April that its China sales rose 44 percent in the first quarter of this year, helping its overall performance.
China is the firm's most important market after Germany and Britain. Audi said last month that it expected double-digit sales growth in China for 2004 as a whole. ($1=8.277 Yuan)