(Yicai Global) May 26 -- The output of new energy vehicles has returned to the same level as April last year with Chinese carmakers’ gradual recovery of production and the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will promote their growth and that of fifth-generation wireless, said Miao Wei, who is the minister of MIIT.

The government has extended the period for the NEV subsidy and purchase tax reduction and exemption policy set to expire at the end of this year by two years to promote industrial recovery and will encourage companies to innovate and promote NEV use in the public service area, Miao added, speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the Two Sessions meetings of China’s legislature in Beijing yesterday.

The MIIT must encourage local public servants to use NEVs in law enforcement, logistics and street cleaning. The MIIT will continue to build more charging infrastructure and encourage the interconnection of platforms for various charging facilities.

"We will create a better environment for the use of NEVs and attract more customers to them through these three joint efforts," Miao said.

Turning to 5G, he noted that China now adds more than 10,000 5G base stations each week. The country's 5G subscriber ranks rose by more than 7 million last month, and its total number of users now tops 36 million.

"With the construction of 5G network facilities and the steady increase of base stations, we will use 5G more often. We are looking forward to more 5G usage scenarios and more 5G users at the Beijing Winter Olympics," Miao said.

Editor: Ben Armour