Report says number of automobiles on Chinese roads to double

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute for Urban and Environmental Studies and Social Sciences Academic Press released a joint report on the current development status of Chinese cities today, the Securities Daily reported. The report, entitled the Urban Bluebook: Report No. 7 on Chinese Urban Development was announced in Beijing today.

One of the key points of the report is that problems which originally exclusively concerned industries now affect everyone. Automobiles, along with apartments, are the two primary personal spaces for urban residents; automobiles' importance in this regard is continuing to grow non-stop. There are currently 130 million vehicles (including trucks and buses) on Chinese roads, which is equivalent to approximately one vehicle for every ten people. If every Chinese household was to have at least one automobiles, the total number of vehicles in the country would over double to 400 million.

Another aspect the report considered is annual production capacity. Currently China produces 20 million automobiles a year. Assuming that the average lifespan for a normal automobile is ten years, that production capacity amount will also have to double (obviously, this amount does not account for foreign imports).

The increasing trends of urbanization and village reconstruction in the country will lead to dramatic increases in automobile demand. This in turn will intensify the social problems of traffic congestion and pollution. The report emphasizes that the increasing demand for automobiles should be considered when addressing these problems. It recommends the increased construction of highways. Furthermore, the report also mentions that certain mindsets regarding families purchasing automobiles in the country need to change in the future.