License plate winners delay purchases

Calls for reform abound as more people join the monthly lottery

BEIJING - Li Chenguang does not rush decisions like buying a new car. After being named a winner in the capital's so-called license-plate lottery, he has spent months researching makes and models.

It seems he is not the only one. According to official statistics cited by Beijing media, as of July 1 just 35 percent of all 600,000 people who have received registrations since the first draw in January have gone on to purchase vehicles.