Xu Yanni, a staff member working in new trial production at Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group and a deputy to the National People's Congress. [Photo/Wechat account: yuchai1951]

Xu Yanni, a staff member who works in new trial production at Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group, is also a deputy to the National People's Congress.

Xu made two suggestions to the fourth session of the 13th NPC, recommending that China should take the lead in establishing a high-quality development plan for the internal combustion engine industry, and give the industry enough time to prepare for the stricter State VII emissions standards for heavy-duty diesel vehicles.

China has topped the world in terms of its production and sales of internal combustion engines for many consecutive years. It realizes an annual output value from related upstream and downstream industries of more than 20 trillion yuan ($3 trillion).

The internal combustion engine industry has become one of the most important basic industries in China's economy, and the products are a major demand of the national defense sector.

Energy conservation and emission reductions are of vital importance to the industry, since internal combustion engines account for over 65 percent of China's petroleum consumption and produce around 9.8 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions. 

"Attention should still be paid to the innovative development of high-efficiency internal combustion engines even as the country gives more support and promotion to the new energy industry," said Xu.

"I suggest that the State Council takes the lead in forming a development plan for the internal combustion engine industry, promoting new products and technologies in energy conservation and emission reduction," added Xu.

China has devoted significant efforts to controlling air pollution caused by vehicle emissions and has only taken around 21 years to achieve six upgrades in the emissions standards of heavy-duty diesel vehicles, making it the fastest in the world to go through this process. 

Xu pointed out that the country should give more time for the industry to prepare for the stricter State VII emissions standards of heavy-duty diesel vehicles so that companies have enough time to make breakthroughs in new technologies and provide better products.