Imported cars now face crash tests
( 2002-09-24 10:05 ) (1 )

A car crash drew applause from on-lookers on Monday.

In a landmark automobile impact test, a four-passenger car made by Japan-based Daihatsu Motors faced a head-on crash test at the Tianjin Automobile Test Centre at the National Passenger Car Quality and Inspection Centre.

"This is the first time we have conducted such a test for a car that is going to enter the Chinese market," said Zhu Xichan, deputy chief engineer of the national inspection centre.

A new compulsory product certification mark, referred to as the "China Compulsory Certification," will be given to cars passing the test.

In the past, crash tests were not administered on imported cars before they went onto China's market, however, they have been conducted on domestic cars since 2000.

"Whether they are domestic cars or imported cars, we should conduct the same test before they enter the market," said Zhu.

"That's one of the basic rules of the World Trade Organization, which China joined last November."

Cars with nine or less seats and 131 other products including electric tools, household electrical appliances and audio and video appliances should be certificated in line with the central government's new certification system unveiled last year. The system required that China-made and imported products must accept the same national certification.

The new system took effect from May 1.