Beijing: China's domestic ?car demand ?has declined more sharply ?than expected at the start of the year and will likely ?remain under ?heavy ?pressure throughout 2026, an ?auto association executive said on Wednesday.

"Stabilizing domestic demand this year should be regarded as a very important task for ?the automotive ?industry," said Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of ?the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

China's total ?vehicle sales dropped 2.1% ?in May from a year earlier, while sales at home slid 20.4% year on year, ?CAAM data showed on Wednesday.