Mazda profits helped by China sales

The company reported close to a 2 percent rise in operating profit for the second quarter, when compared with the same period last year.

Mazda [File Photo: Sino.uk]

China represented the key driving force, if you'll excuse the pun, behind these results.

Mazda reported a vast 12 percent rise in demand in the Chinese market, and raise its forecast for annual sales in the country to nearly 300,000 vehicles.

This would make China the second biggest market for Mazda after the USA, where demand for Mazdas over the quarter proved to be slower than expected.

The news follows a turbulent year for Mazda in China.

In July, we reported that several hundred thousand Mazda vehicles had been recalled in China.

The recall, which was been made by Mazda's Chinese partner FAW Car Co, was due to concerns over potentially unsafe airbags.

These were supplied by Japanese company Takata, who have been at the center of global concerns about the safety of some of their products.

Over 680,000 Mazda 6 cars were impacted by the recall. These were all been made in China between 2008 and 2016.