Int'l auto expo opens in northeast China

CHANGCHUN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The 19th China (Changchun) International Automobile Expo kicked off Friday in Changchun, the capital of northeast China's Jilin Province.

Covering an area of 200,000 square meters, the expo has nine indoor exhibition halls and four outdoor exhibition areas. So far, a total of 155 domestic and overseas automobile brands and 128 enterprises have registered for the exhibition.

More than 10 new energy vehicle brands will display their new and highlighted models during the event, including BYD and SAIC Audi.

The Changchun municipal government will invest 40 million yuan (about 5.9 million U.S. dollars) to subsidize car purchases from individual consumers.

With some 310 million cars owned by residents, China is the world's largest automobile market. In 2021, retail sales of automobiles and related products accounted for 9.9 percent of the country's retail sales of social consumer goods.