China's exports and imports shrank for the seventh month in a row in May as the economic downturn continued to dampen global trade, the General Administration of Customs said on Thursday.

Consumer and producer prices continued to fall in May despite recent rises in commodity prices, but analysts say both the indices are likely to register positive growth in the second half of the year.

China's consumer price index (CPI), the main gauge of inflation, fell 1.4 percent year on year in May, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

China's automobile sales will "definitely break the 10-million-unit barrier" in 2009, the China Passenger Car Association said.

Analysts said it would take several years for 3G services to become popular and reach a critical mass of customers in China.