BEIJING - The China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC), the nation's leading military industry company, said Monday its profits in 2011 rose 9.56 percent to 8.18 billion yuan ($1.3 billion).

Gong Yande, CSGC deputy general manager, said the group's business revenues in 2011 reached 279.86 billion yuan, up 8.81 percent year-on-year. The group also paid 12.57 billion yuan of taxes last year.

Gong said that its auto business realized 5.51 billion yuan of profits with business revenues from the division reaching 126.1 billion yuan.

Sales of its independently developed passenger vehicles rose to 1.37 million units, up 13.4 percent year-on-year. The value of Changan Automobile, a subsidiary of the group, hit 30.52 billion yuan, Gong said.

Sales of motorcycles also jumped 12.5 percent to 4.73 million units while its optical glass sales revenue saw a rise of 21.7 percent.

Gong said the group will continue to attach great importance to reforms and innovation and aim to bring profits for 2012 to over 10 billion yuan.