Gasgoo.com (Shanghai February 21) - Despite development in the Chinese automobile market beginning to lag last year, there is still one place which is experiencing rapid growth: Xinjiang. According to a report appearing in the xinjiangnet.com.cn today, automobile related sales in the western region brought in a total of 21.16 billion ($3.37b) last year, a 23.7 percent increase from 2010. Xinjiang exported 10,000 vehicles in the year with a total value of $343 million. The amount was also 72.6 percent greater than that exported the previous year.

According to announcements from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Ministry of Commerce's market construction department, automobile exports from the region have been growing markedly over the past few years. Mid- to large-size cargo trucks are among the most profitable exports. In particular, Central Asian countries have taken a strong liking to importing vehicles from Xinjiang, as their low price and convenient location prove very attractive at a time when their economic growth has slowed down.

Meanwhile, the number of vehicles on regional capital Ürümqi's roads has also continued to grow over the past few years. According to the most recent statistics, Ürümqi had over 440,000 vehicles on its streets by the end of 2011, growing 30 percent from the previous year.

Industry experts attribute Xinjiang's strong performance to its vast market potential, growing prosperity and the fact that its roads are not as full as some other areas in China.

18.5 million vehicles were sold in China last year, growing only 2.45 percent from the previous year. The growth rate is the slowest the country has witnessed in 13 years. Rising oil prices, increasing interest rates on automobile loans and the phasing out of preferential purchasing policies have all been cited as potential factors.