From the biggest cities to the poorest villages in China, it is never hard to recognise the government official: he is the one in the big black car, swilling Chinese baijiu – sometimes simultaneously. And at the top levels of government, Mercedes seems to be the vehicle of choice for state visits.
But government officials throughout China are feeling pressure to limit what they spend on both driving and drinking: a Shanghai legislator recently proposed a ban on moutai, the most expensive Chinese spirit, at official banquets. And now Beijing has proposed banning the purchase of any car that is foreign, big or extravagant, for official vehicle fleets.
Last week China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology published a draft list of 412 car models which government officials will be allowed to purchase in future – and none of them are foreign. Most cars are relatively small, and all must cost under Rmb180,000 ($28,500). The last time such a list was published, in 2009, half of the permitted brands were foreign, or brands made by joint ventures that include an overseas automaker. The list has yet to be finalised; Beijing has put it out for comment, with formal adoption due next week.