A report by the Wall Street Journal says that China is facing a shortage of at least 50 million parking spots.

 

华尔街日报报道，中国现在缺少5000多万个停车位。

 

China has the world's largest automotive market with 180 million vehicles on the road.

 

According to the Wall Street Journal report, Xu Fei, a 24-year-old who works in finance in Beijing, said that he often has trouble finding a space to park his car near his home in the city's Olympic Park area, which has forced him on occasion to park illegally and face potential fines.

 

The report also finds that a Shanghai residential¹ complex, which was built in 2002, initially² was equipped with only 450 parking spots, but 1,500 cars now park there.

 

China's central authorities have been encouraging local governments and private investors³ to build more parking spaces. 

 

However, some of these efforts have led to complaints that drivers are now being charged to park in areas that were once free. 

 

"I'm used to parking for free. I would rather drive around for a free parking spot than paying fees," a car owner named Fang⁴ Yi told the Wall Street Journal.

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