Chinese Cities Ease Gasoline Car Restrictions to Boost Economy

The Chinese city of Hangzhou, one of several large Chinese cities that restrict licenses for new fossil fuel-powered cars to reduce pollution and traffic congestion, is easing the curbs on eligibility for car ownership in an effort to boost flailing consumer spending and the economy, business news outlet Caixin Global reports. Hangzhou, alongside Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, has had such restrictions for nearly a decade. Hangzhou’s city authorities have been granting just 80,000 new license plates for gasoline and diesel-powered…