General Motors Corp.'s (GM) sales in the Asia Pacific region rose 44% from a year earlier to a record high, Asia Pacific President Nick Reilly said Monday.

He did not give the number of units sold.

The U.S. auto maker's share of the region's market in May rose 1.9 percentage points from a year earlier to 9.1%, Reilly said. For the first five months this year, GM achieved a market share of 8.4% in the Asia Pacific region, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier, he said.

In China, sales of Chevrolet and Wuling vehicles reached record highs, Reilly said without giving figures. GM makes mini commercial vehicles in China with its local partners Wuling Automobile Co. and SAIC Motor Corp. (600104.SH) Sales have been particularly strong in China, though have been softening in India and Thailand, Reilly said. The Asia Pacific region includes China, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand and Australia, among other countries.

-By Patricia Jiayi Ho, Dow Jones Newswires, (8610)6588-5848, patricia.ho@dowjones.com