Automotive sales soaring in northwest China ( 2003-07-07 15:57) (Xinhua)
Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region achieved 2.2 billion yuan
(US$265 million) in automobile sales in the first five months of the year, up 88
percent from the same period last year.
An executive for marketing in Xinjiang with the Shanghai Automotive Industry
Corporation said moderate and low-grade automobiles had been the best sellers on
the market this year.
Of all the automobiles sold, automobiles with a price tag below 100,000 yuan
(US$12,048) made up 55 percent, and those with a price tag between 100,000 yuan
and 200,000 yuan (US$24,096) accounted for 30 percent, while automobiles with a
price tag of over 200,000 yuan only made up 15 percent.
Lowering of automotive prices and increased choice in automobile types since
the beginning of the year are considered the main factors spurring the
automotive market in this remote Chinese region, said an expert on the
enterprises investigation team of Xinjiang.
Private purchasers were the main force behind the increased consumption, he
said.
The number of automobiles bought for private purposes made up 36 percent of
the total sales last year, said the expert, who predicted that the proportion
would go up to 40 percent this year.
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