Frankfurt (AP): German carmaker Audi AG said on Friday its six-month sales were up 23 percent in China.

Audi said it sold 60,509 vehicles in China, including Hong Kong, from January to June, a record for the Ingolstadt-based automaker that is part of Volkswagen AG.

``These results underscore Audi's market leading position in the premium segment in China,'' CEO Rupert Stadler said in a statement. ``We're very happy with the positive development in our second home market, and will further develop our production capacities.''

Audi produces its A6 model in Changchun, China, and the company said that car saw its sales rise 18 percent in the first six months with buyers snapping up 42,969 of the vehicle.

The Audi A4, also produced in China, posted sales totaling 10,819 in the same time period, a 20 percent increase over the first half of 2007.

In June, Audi started building a second production facility in Changchun to accommodate the rising demand.

Audi has been present in China since 1988 and sold more than 100,000 cars in the country for the first time last year.

Audi shares were trading down 1.25 percent at euro473 (US$742.61), while Volkswagen shares were also trading down about 1 percent at euro177.60 (US$278.83) in Frankfurt morning trading.