Austerity drive to cut down on gov't vehicles boosts auctions

China's reform of government vehicles has boosted car auctions, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Shen Danyang said on Monday.

Auctions of government cars totaled 1.13 billion yuan ($180 million) during the first half, up 79.4 percent year-on-year.

China's central authorities released a guideline in July to reform the supply and use of government vehicles in an effort to cut hefty spending amid mounting public complaints over misuse of public money.