Honda's China vehicle sales up 11.7 percent in 2008

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Honda Motor (7267.T) said on Thursday its China vehicle sales rose 11.7 percent in 2008, slowing from a 31 percent rise in 2007.

Honda, the maker of Accord, Civic and Odyssey models, sold 473,297 vehicles in China last year, up from 423,710 units in the year earlier, the company said in a statement.

Sales in December fell 5 percent to 41,851 units, it said.

General Motor's GM.N sold 1.09 million vehicles in the country last year, up 6.1 percent. Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and most other foreign automakers have not announced their annual China sales figures.

Guangzhou Honda, the Japanese automaker's joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., parent of Hong Kong-listed Denway Motors (0203.HK), moved 306,183 units, up 3.7 percent.

Sales at its venture with Dongfeng Motor (0489.HK), based in the central Chinese province of Hubei, rose 29.3 percent to 164,216 units, it said.

(Reporting by Fang Yan, Editing by Jacqueline Wong)