Opinion

Tapping into new growth potential in the auto aftermarket

A circular jointly issued by nine departments including the Ministry of Commerce rolled out 17 measures to boost the auto aftermarket, covering areas such as the orderly regulation of vehicle modification, support for the recreational vehicle (RV) camping sector, new business models for classic cars, and the promotion of motorsports. It's the first national push to link full-life-cycle services, signaling the industry's shift from "sales-driven" to "service-driven" growth.

Institutional innovation for full-chain standards. The measures call for accelerating the establishment of a subcommittee on vehicle modification standards. China will implement graded and category-based management, CCC certification rules for components, and standardize modification inspection and change registration. Efforts will be made to improve maintenance standards for new energy vehicles, encourage automakers and battery manufacturers to share repair technology and parts authorization, and promote "repair-instead-of-replacement" practices. Moreover, regulations will be refined for RV road access and motorsport event management.

Full-chain coordination to unblock supply and demand bottlenecks. The plan targets the entire value chain, addressing each segment with tailored measures: within upstream segments, manufacturers will be steered toward lightweight RVs and compliant parts; through midstream channels, repair chains, modification workshops, and racing operators will be fostered to build industrial clusters; via downstream linkages, cultural tourism and financial services will be connected to support the vehicle's full life-cycle.

Industry upgrading with capital and talent as twin engines. The plan offers subsidized loans for RV manufacturing, rental services, and event operators, while piloting new financial products such as Battery-as-a-Service and modification-specific insurance. A cross-sector talent development alliance will be established, linking universities, vocational schools, and industry associations to train professionals spanning all roles, such as modification technicians, maintenance engineers, race officials, tourism operators, and classic car appraisers.

Integrated scenarios for new cross-sector consumption. A multi-tiered motorsports system will be established, comprising internationally recognized flagship events, professional competitions as the core pillar, and public participation experiences for broader outreach. Administrative approval procedures will be streamlined to facilitate "follow-the-race" travel packages. In the classic car sector, collection exhibitions, cultural festivals, and vintage rallies will be held to revitalize heritage automotive tourism resources. In the rental sector, diverse models such as one-way rentals and lease-to-purchase options will be promoted, while the full used-car circulation and export industry chain will be unlocked.

Policy

1. An action plan to boost public participation in building a Beautiful China (2026-2030) was issued by six ministries, including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The plan calls for improving the ecosystem in a coordinated manner with 15 measures, actively responding to climate change, and accelerating the development of green production and lifestyles. It clearly outlines that by 2030, China will have put in place a basic framework for nationwide participation and achieved a substantial increase in public ecological awareness.

2. A revised national standard for data management capability assessment took effect on July 1. As the most widely applied and recognized foundational national standard in China's data management sector, it will provide enterprises with a unified framework to evaluate and improve their data governance, and fully leverage the value of their data assets.

Data

1. China has allocated the third batch of ultra-long special treasury bonds in 2026 to support its consumer goods trade-in programs, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on June 26. Worth RMB 62.5 billion (about USD 9.2 billion), the bonds were jointly issued by NDRC and the Ministry of Finance to local governments. So far, a total of RMB 187.5 billion in consumer goods trade-in funds have been allocated this year, accelerating the release of consumption potential.

2. China's homegrown C909 regional jet has marked 10 years of commercial operation, becoming a mainstay of the country's regional aviation market. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) said 186 C909 aircraft have been delivered to more than 10 customers. The jet accounts for about 70 percent of China's domestic regional jet fleet.

3. Data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing on June 28 showed that from January to May this year, the country's total social logistics volume reached RMB 146.6 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent. Logistics demand in the high-end manufacturing sector maintained relatively rapid growth.

4. China's cultural and related industries achieved record-high operating revenue of nearly RMB 20.83 trillion (about USD 3.06 trillion) in 2025, up 8.8 percent year-on-year, according to a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on June 29.

5. A car carrier with a maximum capacity of 10,800 car equivalent units was delivered on June 29 in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. The vessel, the third 10,000-vehicle-class carrier, was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Limited under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), marking that the country has already acquired the capability for batch and serialized construction in this field.

6. The National Energy Administration issued 358 million green electricity certificates in May, among which conventional hydropower green electricity certificates accounted for the largest number, reaching 138 million.

7. China was home to eight of the world's top 10 ports by cargo throughput in 2025. Last year, China's port cargo throughput reached 18.3 billion tonnes, the country's container throughput stood at 354 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), and the scale of Chinese-owned shipping fleet reached 490 million deadweight tonnes, all ranking first globally, according to the Ministry of Transport.

8. Official data from China Railway Beijing Group showed the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway has run more than 2.22 million trains over the past 15 years, safely transporting over 2.3 billion passenger trips. The 1,318-km rail line connecting China's capital Beijing and the economic hub Shanghai marked its 15th anniversary since starting operations on June 30.

9. The latest tax data from the State Taxation Administration showed that since the beginning of this year, China's embodied intelligence industry has been developing well, with the enterprise sales revenue of the embodied intelligence industry increasing by 22.4 percent year-on-year from January to May.

10. According to China Railway Nanning Group on July 1, in the first half of this year, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor handled a total of 660,000 TEUs of cargo, with an average monthly transport volume of 110,000 TEUs.

(Source: Economic Daily)