A visitor tries out a new energy vehicle during an auto expo in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. DING GENHOU/FOR CHINA DAILY
China unveiled on Tuesday a list of 40 pilot cities for automobile consumption-boosting initiatives, a move aimed at removing unreasonable restrictions and cultivating new consumption scenarios that integrate commerce, tourism, culture and sports.
Under the program, participating cities will pursue reform and innovation in areas including automobile modification, second-hand vehicle circulation, recreational vehicle camping, auto racing events, car rental services, and scrappage recycling, according to a notice jointly issued by the Ministry of Commerce and seven other government departments.
The pilot cities including Beijing and Shanghai will each focus on distinctive reform priorities tailored to local industrial characteristics, market conditions, resource endowments and functional positioning.
With vehicle ownership reaching 370 million units and sales ranking first globally for 17 consecutive years, China has firmly established itself as an automotive powerhouse, Vice-Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said at a news conference.
