Choices Galore at Major Auto Exhibition

About 1,200 foreign and domestic auto manufacturers showcased their latest vehicles at last month's Auto China 2002 at Beijing International Exhibition Center, an event that drew hundreds of thousands of visitors from all corners of car-crazy China in particular.

The majority of those swarming through the exhibition halls were there for a look-see rather than to order a new car, though it was obvious the majority were saving hard to do so. Many now have the chance to get behind the wheel of their own auto due to improved salaries in China's healthy economy.

Many visitors said they were still taking a wait-and-see attitude in hope of the introduction of lower prices for new vehicles. This is bound to happen in time as manufacturers battle to produce autos that can compete with foreign cars on price, even though prices of the latter are falling because of increasingly lower import tariffs levied by the government.