China’s monthly auto sales rose for the first time in almost two years as the country eased virus-related curbs and reopened for business, but the annual number will likely be slashed by up to 25% if the pandemic continues, an industry body cautioned. The sales data for April and the gloomy outlook underline the challenges being faced by the world’s biggest auto market as it struggles to emerge from a prolonged slump in demand, which was first exacerbated by the trade war with the United States and now by the global health crisis. Even if China contains the outbreak effectively, its auto sales is expected to drop 15% this year, from over 25 million units in 2019, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) […]