China's automobile industry has shown steady growth in 2024, with vehicle production and sales rising consistently during the first nine months of the year, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on Saturday.
During the January-September period, the country's auto production reached approximately 21.47 million units, up 1.9 percent year on year.
Auto sales totaled 21.57 million units, marking a 2.4 percent increase from the same period last year. Notably, both production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) surpassed 8.3 million units, with year-on-year growth exceeding 30 percent in both categories, according to CAAM's data.
CAAM stated that within the structure of automobile production and sales, NEVs now account for nearly 40 percent of total vehicle sales.
China's passenger vehicle market has been gradually picking up, with retail sales growing stronger in the third quarter of this year, thanks to government policies encouraging vehicle trade-ins and manufacturers launching new models during "Golden September and Silver October", a peak period for car sales, said Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the Association.
In August, China increased the financial stimulus to encourage consumers to scrap their old vehicles and buy new ones. Subsidies for trade-ins of new-energy passenger vehicles have doubled from 10,000 yuan (about 1,414 U.S. dollars) to 20,000 yuan, while those for trade-ins of fuel passenger vehicles have been lifted from 7,000 yuan to 15,000 yuan.
At the same time, the export of finished vehicles has also seen steady growth. In the first three quarters, China's automobile exports reached 4.312 million units, a 27.3 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, exports of NEVs totaled 928,000 units, up 12.5 percent year on year.
China's auto sector shows strong growth momentum in first nine months
Residents of Paris criticized the United States on repeatedly signaling its interest in acquiring Greenland, stressing that such hegemonic actions violate international law and global order.
Since taking office in January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed takeover attempts of Greenland.
White House press secretary Karoline Levitt said on Wednesday that Trump and his national security team are actively discussing options to acquire Greenland.
The world's largest island, which lies between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and the northernmost point of land in the world.
Amid rising global concerns over the Greenland issue, many on the streets of the French capital said the moves of Trump administration are driven by its desire to control more global resources.
"The United States' attempt to control Greenland is ultimately aimed at acquiring resources," said Yadi, a local resident.
Observers believe that the U.S. government's resource plundering is further evidence of its hegemonism and contempt for international law.
"Greenland is a territory of Denmark. The very fact that the United States is intervening in this matter for resources is shocking, as if the world's leading superpower can permit itself to do anything, acting with complete impunity. Now the U.S. believes it can do anything, even seeing itself as the center of the world. This situation is absurd in itself. The era when territories could be annexed in this manner is long gone," said Edes, a Parisian citizen.
"There are laws in the world, but the U.S. government does not respect international law and completely tramples on it," said Genaya, another Parisian.
The White House confirmed in an email to China's Xinhua News Agency that the options under consideration for acquiring the world's largest island include the use of military force.
Frank, another Parisian, believes this is possible after an audacious U.S. military operation in Venezuela in recent days, one that ended with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife captured and taken to New York.
"Given Trump's recent actions in Venezuela, we cannot rule out the possibility of military intervention by the United States in Greenland. Essentially, this is blatant plundering -- if I want something, I just take it or force it to be sold," he said.
Although Danish and Greenlandic government officials and European allies have also criticized the U.S. approach, some French people believe that the European Union needs to offer more resolute support to Denmark.
"In my opinion, even if Denmark rejects, the United States doesn't care about Denmark at all, let alone the European Union. If the EU does not firmly stand by Denmark's side and clearly state 'No, we won't accept it,' the U.S. will continue to test the waters," said Edmound, another resident.
Paris residents condemn U.S. Greenland bid, warn of threat to European sovereignty
