BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council, the cabinet, on Wednesday announced a fresh set of pro-new energy vehicle (NEV) policies. As part of efforts to achieve "revolutionary breakthroughs" in battery performance, China will encourage cooperation between enterprises, universities and research institutions, according to a statement issued after a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang. More battery charging facilities will be built, with the sector receiving increased investment and subsidies, the State Council pledged. Other measures include increasing the share of NEVs in the public transportation system and enhancing their quality. NEVs should account for over 50 percent of annual new vehicle purchases of government organs and public institutions, the statement said. The policies came as the Chinese government is looking to the industry to push industrial upgrades, ease pressure on the environment and foster new growth engines. Thanks to government incentives to encourage their use, the NEVs continued to gain popularity in China. The number sold in 2015 more than tripled year on year to 331,100, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Since 2014, China has rolled out a set of measures to promote NEVs to save energy and combat pollution. These include tax exemptions, subsidies for car purchases and requirement for government organs to buy more new energy cars. An earlier guideline by the State Council said China will build more than 12,000 new charging stations before 2020 to fulfill the demands of over 5 million NEVs. Related: Chinese Premier vows to deepen reforms BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China will continue to deepen reforms by streamlining administration, delegating powers, improving regulation and providing better services. "This will trigger market vitality and ingenuity, and will create a level playing field for all market players," said Li when holding discussions with foreign experts working in China at the Great Hall of the People. Full story Top political advisor calls for private enterprises' contribution to reforms BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng called on China's private entrepreneurs to contribute to the country's economic development and reforms on Tuesday. During his meeting with private entrepreneurs, Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, listened to opinions and suggestions on the country's economic structural adjustment and extended festival greetings ahead of China's Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 8 this year. Full story
On Wednesday China’s the State Council announced a new set of “pro-new energy vehicle (NEV) policies”. The statement declares that China will encourage cooperation between enterprises, universities and research institutions, as part of its efforts to achieve battery performance breakthroughs; more electric vehicle charging facilities will be built around the country; and the number of NEVs used in public transportation will be increased. Furthermore, the statement revealed that NEVs will soon account for over half of annual government vehicle purchases.