Combustion engine phase-out discussed + Beauty industry to be regulated • China.Table

Advisers recommend Beijing phase out internal combustion vehicles
The CCP is cracking down on the beauty industry
Energy crisis: Authorities take action
Xi Jinping calls for ‘reunification’ with Taiwan
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Meituan sentenced to fine
Weltmeister Motors raises 260 million euros
Profile: Michael Pettis – China economist in demand

Dear reader,

CO2 emissions in China’s transport sector are rising rapidly. Despite the commercial success of e-cars, four out of five new cars sold are still internal combustion vehicles. It is therefore not surprising that China is also considering phasing internal combustion vehicles out. So far, Beijing has not decided on a deadline for new registrations of climate-damaging cars. The authorities are still relying on other measures to reduce emissions. This is also because the dependence on coal-fired power negates the climate advantage of electric cars.

In the People’s Republic, too, artificial aids are often used in the endeavor for a beautiful appearance. Surgical beauty clinics and the sale of cosmetics are booming. The CCP does not like this superficiality at all. They complain of an exaggerated veneration of appearance. And so the state is increasingly cracking down on the beauty industry, too, reports Ning Wang. The authorities are regulating cosmetic surgery advertising, but they are also strengthening consumers’ rights by enforcing uniform product standards. A market worth billions could be shaken up.

Have a good start to the week!

Your
Nico Beckert

Feature

China discusses phasing out internal combustion engines

In China, too, the transportation sector is responsible for high CO2 emissions. It is true that a deadline for the sale of new combustion vehicles is being debated in the People’s Republic. But so far, there is no phase-out date. Such a measure would also make little sense in terms of climate policy.

By
Nico Beckert

China is one of the largest markets for cars with alternative drives. Vehicles with electric, hydrogen or hybrid drive (New Energy Vehicles – NEV) now account for 18 percent of all car sales in the People’s Republic. The switch to e-cars is proceeding faster than planned. Beijing’s target of 20 percent NEV sales by 2025 has already almost been reached (China.Table reported). At the same time, CO2 emissions from the transport sector are growing massively. After all, a good 80 percent of all cars sold are still climate-damaging internal combustion vehicles. What measures is Beijing pursuing to reduce this share further?

Advisory panel recommends phasing out internal combustion engines

So far, China has not announced a date for phasing out the internal combustion engine. However, a high-level advisory body to the Chinese government recently proposed “clear path markers” for the “gradual elimination of internal combustion engine vehicles”. The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) has issued a report outlining how China should contribute to climate change mitigation. Analysts at Trivium China call the study “groundbreaking”. CCICED is directly linked to the State Council and is chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Han Zheng.

Back in 2017, the government discussed a possible timetable for phasing out internal combustion cars – but had not decided at the time. Official government documents, however, envisage battery-powered e-cars making up the majority of cars sold by 2035, but without setting clear targets, Barbara Finamore, energy expert and author of the book “Will China Save the Planet?” told China.Table. Public fleet vehicles such as buses, taxis, and delivery vehicles are expected to go completely electric by 2035.

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