VW China sales rise 23.3 percent in first half

BEIJING, July 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE), Europe's biggest carmaker, increased groupwide vehicle deliveries in China, Hong Kong and Macau by 23.3 percent in the first half of 2008 to 531,612 units.

Sales of Volkswagen badged vehicles rose 15.7 percent to 439,218, including 5,797 imported units, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

"With our good performance in the first half we are confident to reach our sales target of more than one million vehicles in the whole year, despite rising oil prices and a slower than expected growing economy," said Winfried Vahland, President & CEO of Volkswagen Group China.

($=6.86 yuan) (Reporting by Kirby Chien; Editing by Keiron Henderson)