The advice is expected to be essential to ward off blind investment and vicious competition and lead to the healthier development of the industry, the commission was quoted as saying.

The commission said the public's constructive ideas will be integrated into the current development policy for the car industry.

Public hearings are also expected by the end of May.

China's car industry has developed quickly since 1994, when the country launched its first national policy on the industry.

"The situation regarding the industry's further development has changed tremendously and we need to come to terms with this," said the commission.

Commission officials have already warned about the trend towards over-investment in the industry.

Official statistics indicate that between January and March this year, car production rose a year-on-year 120 percent to 399,000 while output of all types of motor vehicles rose 54 percent to 1.05 million.

Car assembly lines can be found in 23 of the Chinese mainland’s provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Insiders and researchers said it is high time for the government to map out a policy to cool car industry's development.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2003)