SHANGHAI -- General Motors posted an 18.9 percent jump in first-half vehicle sales in China, its second-largest market, and predicted growth of more than 20 percent for the full year.

The Detroit giant closed in on Volkswagen by expanding its share of its largest market outside the United States to 10.9 percent at the end of June, up from 10.4 percent at the end of March. That compares with Volkswagen's estimated share of 13 to 20 percent.

GM, runner-up to long-standing leader Volkswagen A.G. in the world's third-largest vehicle market, sold 308,722 vehicles in the country from January to June, said Kevin Wale, GM's new China chief executive.