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)