China breaks 300m drivers mark

There are now almost as many drivers in China as people living in the US

The number of licenses drivers in China has now reached more than 300m, according to census data from the Public Security Ministry.

The are now 35 cities in China that boast more than 1m vehicles, leading to heavy congestion and smog.

Beijing tops the chart with more than 5m vehicles, followed by major conurbations like Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Despite the rise, only two in every three adult Chinese are actually qualified to drive and the Ministry is still backing programs to make it easier to obtain a license.

Meanwhile, automakers are on track to sell 23m new vehicles even though many predicted restrictive policies in major cities would dampen growth.