By Paul Chong     Tuesday, 22 September 2015

In May 1989 when I first led a party of 10 into China, there were still bicycles galore. Never had I seen such sheer numbers . . . by the millions . . . after all China has a total population of 1.4 billion now.

Chronologically & historically, in the shortest time span China has transformed itself teeming with millions & millions of motor vehicles. It’s just unimaginable . . . a great miracle unsurpassed by any industrial country in the world. A record such as this happened only once in a lifetime!

Everyday is a nightmare to the traffic controllers with traffic jams lasting for days, weeks & more. China set about the frenzy building of highways, flyways & byways. Speedy communication is essential to set or match with the gigantic growth of economic & social motion.

Since 2009 annual production of automobiles in China exceeds that of the European Union or that of the United States and Japan combined.

In 2014, total vehicles production in China reached 23.720 million, accounting for 26% of global automotive production.
The number of registered cars, buses, vans, and trucks on the road in China is expected to exceed 200 million by 2020.
The consultancy McKinsey & Company estimates that China’s car market will grow tenfold between 2005 and 2030.

Most of the automobiles produced in China are made by joint ventures between local and foreign manufacturers such as Volkswagen, General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Honda, Toyota and Mitsubishi.
All foreign brands can own no more than 49% of of its joint ventures.
All foreign brands must be 100% design and 100% manufacture in China.
Indigenous brands that do not cooperate with a multinational also exist but may be less popular.
These include: Beijing Automotive Group, Brilliance Automotive, BYD, Dongfeng Motor, FAW Group, SAIC Motor, Chang’an (Chana), Geely, Chery, Jianghuai (JAC), Great Wall, and Guangzhou Automobile Group.

China-built German luxury cars such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi are Chinese most favourite buys.
Japanese cars lost sales badly because of boycott by Chinese citizens.

As a point of interest, when talking of highways, flyways & byways, reminds me to mention of the Big Bend Scenic Byway which will transport you to a different time & place through its wildlife, woods, waterways and the way of life. Yes, life springs up in all respects since Deng Xiao Ping opened up China in 1970s.
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