BEIJING — Chinese market welcomes electric vehicles (EV) from overseas so that customers can enjoy a wider variety of products and services, the minister of science and technology said on March 10.

The transition from traditional cars to electric is a global trend and the development of China’s EV sector is a key link, Wan Gang told a news conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 13th National People’s Congress.

Over 770,000 new energy vehicles were sold in China last year, up 53.3 percent year-on-year. The country’s stock of new energy vehicles reached over 1.6 million, about half of the world’s total.

Promotion of electric cars reduces fossil fuel consumption, address air pollution and establishes a role of frontier technology like artificial intelligence to improve traffic management, Wan said.

Many overseas EV brands have entered the Chinese market like Germany’s Audi, formed joint ventures with Chinese counterparts and enjoy equal policy treatment with local peers.

Wan pointed out that China and the United States have close cooperation in the EV sector, high on the agenda of a united research center set up by the two countries.

“There are no barriers for bilateral cooperation on science and innovation in EV and other fields. If problems arise, we can solve them through dialogue,” Wan added.