The Economist (March 24)
In China, “the desperate scramble for parking spots has been added to the problems of chronic congestion, rising petrol prices and choking pollution.” There just aren’t enough spaces. Scuffles and even protests are arising. In Beijing, things are particularly tight. With 5 million cars and only 740,000 parking spaces, the city attempted to deal with the problem by quadrupling parking fees overnight.
In China, “the desperate scramble for parking spots has been added to the problems of chronic congestion, rising petrol prices and choking pollution.” There just aren’t enough spaces. Scuffles and even protests are arising. In Beijing, things are particularly tight. With 5 million cars and only 740,000 parking spaces, the city attempted to deal with the problem by quadrupling parking fees overnight.
Global Times (December 17)
As Beijing moves to ease congestion by restricting sales of autos, overseas news outlets are noting this story which advocates relocating the capital. “Traffic jams and environmental problems in Beijing are leading some experts to revisit a decades-long proposal for China to relocate its capital to Central China or another part of the country.” Other factors favoring a move involve limited drinking water and the need to boost regional development. Many, however, view any such move as impractical and unlikely.
Tags: Beijing, Capital, Environment, Relocation, Traffic jams
Institutional Investor (December)
The Mandarin Oriental Tokyo was named the world’s best hotel by Institutional Investor. The Mandarin received a score of 98.7, beating out competitors such as the Peninsula Beijing (94.1) and the Ritz Carlton Central Park New York (92.3). The results are based on the responses of senior finance executives from 35 countries who averaged 52 nights on the road in the previous year.
