CHICAGO - Ford's vehicle sales in China totaled 577,097 in the first half of 2016, up 6 percent year on year, Ford Motor Company announced on its website Thursday.

Ford's joint ventures in China sold 568,609 vehicles in China in the first six months, up 5 percent year on year. To be specific, sales of Changan Ford Automobile reached 434,645 units, up 10 percent; and that of Jiangling Motor Corporation came to 121,514, down 7 percent.

Ford's Lincoln brand sales in China topped 12,450 units, an almost three-fold increase and exceeding 2015 full-year sales.

Demand for Ford and Lincoln sport utility vehicles (SUVs) from China remained strong. The Dearborn-based US automaker said the combined sales of Ford EcoSport, Kuga, Edge, Everest and Explorer and Lincoln MKC, MKX and Navigator surpassed 150,000 vehicles, up 27 percent from the same period of 2015.

"We continue to see solid growth in China during the first half," said Dave Schoch, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President and President of Asia Pacific. "Even as the pace of growth slows and the market matures, customers continue to respond well to our products, particularly our world-class SUV lineup", Schoch said.