As part of its efforts to deliver on its "green Olympics" promise, Beijing implemented the Euro IV vehicle emission standard at the New Year - a welcome change for many residents as the new emission standard will help the city cut pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
But others complain the green initiative may have a negative impact on their businesses in the near future.
Liu Hao, a sales manager at Hyundai in Dongcheng district, says he has problems with enforcement of the Euro IV standard in Beijing because the dealership did not have enough time to deal with cars made to meet old emission standards.
"We have to think about what to do with our cars in stock," says Liu. "We need time to change our market strategy and possibly we will send those cars to other cities which haven't adopted the new standard."
But not all in the industry are unhappy. Gong Haixia, a salesman at the Chery 4S center at Haidian district in the capital, says that even though only 40 percent of the cars on sale at his center meet the new emission standards he "agrees with the official act against degradation of environment and expect more blue skies in Beijing in the near future".
Last year, Beijing realized the quota of 245 "blue-sky" days for 2007, keeping an earlier promise to the International Olympic Committee. For 2008, the year of the Beijing Games, the host city plans to increase the quota by another 11 days.
"The new and stricter emission control can help achieve that," says Gong.
At Toyota's Sanyuanqiao 4S center, 70 percent of cars measure up to the requirements. "Toyota has started to remodel cars that don't meet the new emission standards and we see very little influence on our business from the new standards," says a manager of the center, surnamed Wang.
"The enforcement of the emission standards will not impact us much as all types of cars we are selling now have already satisfied the standard," says Wang Zhi, sales supervisor of a Mercedes-Benz center in Beijing.
Car buyers also hold various attitudes on the new standard enforcement. Li Yingqi, an officer of a commercial bank based in Beijing, says he supports the government's move since he wants to make a contribution for the Beijing Olympic Games this way. "I hope our city holds a green event and people from all over world could see what Chinese people have been doing in curbing global warming," says Li.
Before the new standard took effect, Xiao Yu bought a Focus car meeting the Euro III standard since she feared that a Euro IV car would cost her more money.
"Besides, initially the standards have only taken effect in Beijing. It will cause a lot of trouble if we drive to other cities as the gas stations outside Beijing don't provide the quality gasoline for us to meet the emission standards," says Xiao.
