China's automobile industry has shown steady growth in 2024, with vehicle production and sales rising consistently during the first nine months of the year, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Saturday.
During the January-September period, the country's auto production reached approximately 21.47 million units, up 1.9 percent year on year.
Auto sales totaled 21.57 million units, marking a 2.4 percent increase from the same period last year. Notably, both production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) surpassed 8.3 million units, with year-on-year growth exceeding 30 percent in both categories, according to CAAM's data.
CAAM stated that within the structure of automobile production and sales, NEVs now account for nearly 40 percent of total vehicle sales.
China's passenger vehicle market has been gradually picking up, with retail sales growing stronger in the third quarter of this year, thanks to government policies encouraging vehicle trade-ins and manufacturers launching new models during "Golden September and Silver October", a peak period for car sales, said Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the Association.
In August, China increased the financial stimulus to encourage consumers to scrap their old vehicles and buy new ones. Subsidies for trade-ins of new-energy passenger vehicles have doubled from 10,000 yuan (about 1,414 U.S. dollars) to 20,000 yuan, while those for trade-ins of fuel passenger vehicles have been lifted from 7,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan.
At the same time, the export of finished vehicles has also seen steady growth. In the first three quarters, China's automobile exports reached 4.312 million units, a 27.3 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, exports of NEVs totaled 928,000 units, up 12.5 percent year on year.
China's auto sector shows strong growth momentum in first nine months
The 2025 Arabian Travel Market opened on Monday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the China Pavilion showcasing the country's strong inbound tourism potential.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism leads the country's participation at the Arabian Travel Market, the largest professional tourism exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa.
The China Pavilion brings together cultural and tourism departments from 13 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and 26 tourism-related enterprises, presenting a comprehensive view of China's travel landscape under the theme "Nihao (hello)! China".
Focusing on business matchmaking between Chinese and international travel operators, the Chinese exhibitors are keen to attract more international visitors by demonstrating their latest upgraded tourism services, cultural experiences, and streamlined visa procedures. The emphasis is placed on three core concepts, "Tourism + Culture," "Tourism + Aviation," and "Tourism + Technology."
Currently, China grants unilateral visa-free access to citizens of 38 countries and has extended its visa-free transit policy for 54 countries to up to 240 hours. As China's "visa-free circle of friends" continues to expand, inbound tourism is experiencing steady growth.
"In the past few years, China has optimized a series of visa policies, making it more convenient for foreigners to travel to and do business in the country. I have personally visited China multiple times for business negotiations and have deeply felt the positive changes," said Jasem, a tourism company representative.
"I think by allowing more and more tourists to come and visit China more freely, it's certainly going to improve the amount of tourists that you end up getting. Myself, I started going to China a few years ago, and I'm trying to get there once or twice a year. Once you get over a slight language barrier and you get to see all the amazing ancient artifacts that are there, the touristic sites, it's definitely a place that people will come to time and time again," said another tourism company representative James.
China pavilion promotes inbound tourism, visa facilitation at Arabian Travel Market
