[1/2] A sign is seen outside a Tianjin Faw Toyota Motor Co. Ltd showroom, a joint venture between China's Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd and Japan's automaker Toyota Motor Corp, in central Beijing October 9, 2012. The production halt at the Tianjin venture with China's FAW was a planned move, and Toyota is adjusting production based on "changes in the composition of vehicle models", a spokesperson said by email. Japan's Jiji news service said on Friday the world's largest automaker by sales was suspending some production as part of a major production adjustment in response to weak sales of gasoline-engine cars. Reuters reported last month that Toyota had told dealers it would extend a plan to reduce output at the FAW venture. Slowing sales pose a growing challenge to Toyota in China which accounted for nearly a fifth of Toyota's worldwide sales of about 8.5 million vehicles over the first 10 months of the year, including sales of its luxury Lexus brand.

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Persons: David Gray, David Kirton, Brenda Goh Organizations: Tianjin Faw Toyota Motor Co, China's Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd, Japan's, Toyota Motor Corp, REUTERS, Rights, Toyota, China's FAW, FAW, Reuters, Lexus, Thomson Locations: Beijing, Rights SHENZHEN, China, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shanghai