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Lawmakers and political advisors attending the on-going annual
sessions in Beijing slashed some local governments' discrimination
against mini-cars and argued automobile consumption have to follow
an energy-saving path in line with China's present conditions.
It
has become an irresistible trend for cars to enter ordinary Chinese
families, as the country is the second largest oil importer in the
world, with its imports approaching 80 million tons in 2002. Of
China's total oil consumption of oil products, automobiles consumed
about a quarter of the total.
However, economic cars with smaller displacement, which suits
China's conditions most, have been plunged in to an unfair plight
in a number of major cities. In Beijing and Shanghai, local
governments have keep mini-cars off their downtown area or their
use of overpasses and tunnels, and residents in the southern
Guangzhou City can hardly get license plates for their mini-cars,
while the municipal government of Suzhou prohibits mini-cars from
entering the city proper.
Yin Jiaxu, a deputy to the First Session of the 10th National
People's Congress (NPC), the top legislature, and general manager
of Chongqing Chang'an Group, on Wednesday described mini-cars as
the most appropriate vehicle for its current conditions and the
most competitive models for the automotive industry, due to their
small displacement, low fuel consumption and low-operation cost.
Nevertheless, he added, the unfair treatment has prevent the
mini-car sector from the healthy growth.
Yin suggested a relevant law on mini-car use be enacted to secure
tax and fee reduction for consumers and ensure the rapid and
healthy development of the mini-car sector.
"At present, the state should step up law enforcement, resolutely
do away with local protectionism, and nullify various localities'
discrimination against the use of mini-cars so that an open, fair
and healthy environment for mini-cars would be created for them to
compete with other models," the NPC deputy said.
Zhang Yanzhong, a member of the CPPCC National Committee, China's
top advisory body, shared the view of Yin, saying that Chinese
mini-cars, to some extent, are competitive on the world market in
terms of price and quality.
The state policies concerning automotive industry to develop
energy-saving and environment-friendly economic cars with a
displacement of 1.3 liters and lower should be carried out
earnestly, said Zhang, who is also an academician of the Chinese
Academy of Engineering.
To
date, the sale volumes of mini-cars have made up for nearly 30
percent of the Chinese market after about two decades of rapid
development.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2003)
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