BEIJING: A trial programme allowing unauthorised dealers to sell imported cars will be extended to the northern city of Tianjin, China’s state media said on Sunday, as the government moves to rein in high-end car prices. Cars sold by unauthorised dealers are often cheaper than those sold by dealerships which are authorised by car companies, but come with little or no after-sales service or quality guarantee. The so-called ‘parallel imports’ scheme was first launched in Shanghai’s free trade zone in February. The programme will be extended to Tianjin in June, the overseas edition of the People’s Daily, the ruling Communist Party’s official newspaper, said. There is already a flourishing grey market in imported cars centred around Tianjin. 

Britain’s pvt sector

LONDON: Britain’s private sector recorded its strongest economic growth for a year in the three months to May, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), in contrast to weak official data for the first quarter of 2015. The CBI said on Sunday that its monthly growth indicator — based on separate surveys of manufacturers, retailers and services — rose to +33 in May from +19 in April, its highest since May 2014. Services companies showed the most robust growth, with output rising at the fastest pace since early 2006. 

Smart tech show

TAIPEI: Smart living and wearable technology will take centre stage at Asia’s largest tech trade show from Tuesday with gadgets promising to do everything from analysing state of mind to identifying burglars. Held in Taipei, Computex will see 1,700 exhibitors from Taiwan and around the world with 130,000 visitors expected at the event. Wearables have a dedicated area — including smart watches, fabrics and glasses — and will this year feature a new device which promises to measure stress levels caused by work through analysing ‘mind waves’, organisers said.