CAIRO (dpa): China is considering restricting government and Communist Party officials to buying cars from a list of about 400 domestically-made models, according to a draft list of approved vehicles seen on Monday. The list of vehicles suggested by government experts was published on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for public comment by March 9. News of the potential restriction on officials buying new foreign cars affected shares of several auto firms on Chinese and international stock markets on Monday. Shares in China's Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co and Dongfeng Automobile Co, both of which have several models on the draft list, rose by their daily maximum of 10 per cent. But one industry insider from a foreign company, speaking on condition of anonymity, said purchases for official car fleets made up less than 1 per cent of the company's sales in China. Vehicles produced by major foreign firms, all of which have joint ventures in China, were “also Chinese cars because they're produced here,” said the insider. State media also speculated earlier this month that the government might choose a Chinese Red Flag model as its recommended car for high officials, who currently often use Audi, Mercedes and other foreign brands. The official newspaper, China Daily, recently said the Audi A6 had become the most popular car for Chinese officials. “Although the company said that no more than 10 per cent of its total sales came from government purchases, its image of belonging to the ‘official class' has been a great driver of sales to both business leaders and for private use,” the newspaper said. Audi said it sold 310,000 vehicles in China last year, up 37 per cent from 2010, including 252,000 locally produced cars. It sold about 113,000 locally made A6 models in China. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/lcyFJ Tags: Chinese cars, Dongfeng Section: Asia, Business, Latest News
