BEIJING — China's automobile exports went up 39.4 percent year-on-year in the first four months of this year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.

A total of 723,000 vehicles were exported during the period, of which passenger car exports soared 39.1 percent year-on-year to 551,000 units, according to the association.

In April alone, automobile exports totaled 141,000 units, down 6.6 percent from the same period last year, the data showed.

Previous data from the association showed that China's auto sales plunged 47.6 percent year-on-year in April due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But reversing the trend, the country's new energy vehicle market had sustained rapid growth, with the sales surging 44.6 percent year-on-year.