Nissan’s China joint venture said it expects sales to reach 1 million units in 2010, including 600,000 passenger cars, up 16% from projected sales volumes this year, Dow Jones reported. The company’s joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corp sold 469,559 passenger cars in the first 11 months of the year, up 51.3% year-on-year. Kimiyasu Nakamura, the joint venture’s president, said growth had been encouraged by Beijing’s reduction of the purchase tax on vehicles with engine displacements of up to 1.6 liters from 10% to 5%. The slower growth the company expects for next year may come in part as a result of Beijing’s decision to raise the small-engine vehicle purchase tax to 7.5% in 2010.