In December 2010, the Beijing municipal government responded to the problem of severe overcrowding of the city’s roads by limiting the number of personal cars approved for purchase. The city government said it would limit new licenses to 240,000 this year, one-third the number of licenses approved in 2010. Gridlock on Beijing’s roads has become a major issue in China’s media in recent months [See “Why do Beijingers Feel They Must Have Cars?“]. In this cartoon, posted by artist Fan Jianping (范建平) to his blog on top Chinese Internet site QQ.com, city residents are surrounded by a flood of personal automobiles and must seek refuge on top of their homes and in treetops.
David Bandurski
CMP Director
