BMW China partner sees surge in H1 profits

German carmaker Bayerische Motoren Werke’s (BMW.FRA) Chinese JV partner Brilliance China Automotive (1114.HKG) saw a huge 52% upswing in first-half profits, Bloomberg reported. Net income at Brilliance rose to US$332 million (RMB2 billion) from US$212 million on Chinese demand for new auto models. China has surpassed the US as BMW’s top market this year in terms of sale volume, Brilliance chairman Wu Xiaoan said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Tuesday. BMW competes with Volkswagen’s (VOW.FRA) luxury brand Audi, the current market leader, for dominance in the world’s largest auto market.