Chinese passenger car brands captured a larger share of Europe's monthly new-car market than their Japanese counterparts for the first time in May, marking a milestone for China's automakers in the region, showed latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

Five major Chinese automakers — BYD, SAIC Motor, Geely, Chery and Leapmotor — sold a combined 138,410 vehicles across 31 European countries in May, up 65 percent year-on-year.

By comparison, six major Japanese automakers — Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi Motors — sold 130,424 vehicles, down 3 percent from a year earlier.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei said Chinese automakers have continued to expand their footprint in Europe despite higher EU tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, supported by competitive pricing, rapid advances in electric vehicle technology and deeper localization.

The latest milestone is not an isolated case. Just a month earlier, Chinese passenger vehicles surpassed Japanese brands in monthly sales in South Korea's imported car market for the first time. Driven solely by BYD, sales of Chinese-made vehicles exceeded the combined total of Lexus, Toyota and Honda vehicles.

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Li Siyao