The number of registered automobiles in Beijing exceeded 2 million on Monday, which include 1.28 million private ones, according to sources with the local automotive administration.

The number of automotive vehicles in Beijing was 1,757 in 1950 and reached 1 million in 1997. It took only six and a half years to reach 2 million, according to Li Changzheng, an official with the city's automotive administration.

In 2002, the number of automobiles in Beijing rose by a record of 276,000, among which private vehicles accounted for nearly 90 percent.

In the first seven months of 2003, the sale of automotive vehicles kept rising and the number of new sales reached 190,000.

(People's Daily August 4, 2003)