BEIJING - China’s automobile exports registered strong expansion in the first quarter of this year, industry data shows.

A total of 994,000 vehicles were exported in this period, soaring 70.6 percent from a year ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

In breakdown, passenger vehicle exports jumped 82.9 percent year-on-year to 826,000 units, while exports of commercial vehicles climbed 28.1 percent from a year ago to 168,000 units.

In the January-March period, exports of new-energy vehicles more than doubled to 248,000 units, the data also reveals.