BEIJING - General Motors Co (GM), the biggest overseas automaker in China, said its sales in the nation rose 22 percent in July, aided by the popularity of Chevrolet cars, while Ford Motor Co's sales fell during the same period.

The company sold a total of 176,645 vehicles last month in the world's largest auto market, after boosting sales of Chevrolet models by 70 percent to 35,385 units, the company said in an e-mailed statement on Tuesday. Sales of GM-brand vehicles rose 45 percent to 1.3 million in the first seven months of the year, it added.

GM is counting on expansion in China and other overseas markets to bolster profits as it prepares for an initial public offering (IPO) as early as the fourth quarter. GM's first-half sales in China surpassed those in the United States for the first time this year as the world's fastest-growing major economy propelled global auto demand.