(File Photo)

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is formulating a timetable to end the production and sales of traditional fuel cars in a bid to promote the development of electric vehicles, according to a MIIT official.

The move is seen as a step to join France, Britain, and other countries to announce plans to end sales of petrol and diesel cars, Xin Guobin, deputy minister of the MIIT, said at an auto industry forum held from September 8 to 10 in north China’s Tianjin.

Xin said the MIIT is currently working with other departments to formulate administrative guidelines, which will be released soon.

The Netherlands was the first country to set a clear timetable to ban the sales of petrol and diesel automobiles. Britain recently announced it will end sales of traditional fuel cars by 2040, mainly to reduce air pollution.