Cars and Oil

GM announced that its sales are booming in China.

From The Wall Street Journal:

BEIJING -- General Motors Co.'s sales in China soared 67% last year, underscoring the country's importance to the U.S. auto maker as sales sputtered in its home market.

GM has been expanding its share of the fast-growing Chinese auto market and its 2009 sales growth in China was likely stronger than the country's overall auto market.

GM sold a record 1.83 million autos in China last year, the company said in a statement Monday. The auto maker expects to top that this year, though it sees slowing growth. Kevin Wale, president and managing director of GM China Group, "The industry outlook is strong and we expect more growth, albeit on a somewhat slower pace."

China's government gave the domestic auto industry a boost last year by introducing several policies aimed at increasing demand, such as halving the purchase tax for vehicles with small engines. The government partially rolled back the tax cut starting this year, but auto makers say passenger vehicle sales in China could grow as much as 15% this year.

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As I read this news of GM's sales, I also came across this article on an oil spill near my old province - Shaanxi.

From The BBC:

Pollution from a broken oil pipeline in northern China has now reached one of the country's major water sources - the Yellow River, state media say.

Hundreds of workers had battled to contain the oil upstream, but officials discovered traces in the river itself.

The traces were found about 200km (124 miles) upstream from Zhengzhou.

Three counties in neighbouring Shaanxi province have warned people not to take supplies from the river or drink river water.

Correspondents say local towns and cities get some of their water from the river, the rest from underground water sources.

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Nothing too groundbreaking here - economic development mixed with environmental contamination. Looking at China always involves stark contrasts though.

I've been missing China a lot the past several days. Things here in America are cool. But I can't wait to go back to visit China. My first chance will probably be in early 2011.