Private Car and China

Author: Chinese Academy of Engineering
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: This research report does not elaborate on all the global issues that may arise from the increasing level of motorization worldwide, but the committee strongly feels that in-depth exploration should be conducted on the various impacts of this increase, whether positive or negative. Fundamentally, all the issues mentioned in this report that are crucial to China will emerge globally and become even more challenging to address. Therefore, we strongly call for the initiation of this research at an early stage. The impact of the automotive industry on society is different from that of any other industry. Cars are not just a technology or a means of transportation; they are also a fundamental determinant of the entire economy, and they are reshaping the national economy and employment structure. China is one of the countries with the fastest growth rates in the automotive industry. In 1999, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Engineering in the United States established an expert committee, with half of the members nominated by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the other half by the National Academy of Engineering. One of the two co-chairs of the committee was Guo Konghui, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the other was Dale Comptom of the National Academy of Engineering. The committee held five meetings in Beijing, Shanghai, and Changchun in China, as well as in Washington, D.C., and Davis, California, in the United States.