Frowns in Berlin, smiles in Beijing

• Source: Global Times
• [08:35 October 19 2009]
• Comments

By Hendrik Ankenbrand

Audi R8 5.2 quattro is presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show 2009.Photo: CFP

At first sight, Paul Wong and Wu Qi are quite different. Wong is a hip urban 27-year-old scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing. His pinstripe suit and pink shirt are tailor-made. Wong likes looking good while he talks about the future challenges of Chinese society or about cars, which is sometimes the same. "Driving a special car tells a lot about your social status," says Wong.

"In Beijing, it's no different than anywhere else," like in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, 1,500 kilometers away from the nation's capital. Wu, 26, is a simply dressed, nature-loving engineer who is enraptured with the Tiger Leap George, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. But even the sight of waterfalls can't stop Wu talking about his material dream – a black Audi A6, starting at around 400,000 yuan ($58,585). It is the same model of which Wong dreams.

"It's a good car but not one to make your friends jealous. That's what the ordinary Chinese want," Wu said.