The Chinese economy is declining and local finances are tight. The government of Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, recently announced its plan to auction off the operation rights of 24,000 roadside parking spaces for a whopping price of 730 million yuan (RMB), spanning 20 years. This move has been criticized as a money-making tactic due to financial difficulties. Perhaps due to public pressure, the bidding time was postponed by the relevant authorities.
On February 17, the Zhuhai government issued a bidding announcement for the operation rights of 23,798 “on-street parking spaces” throughout the city for a period of 20 years, with the total amount reaching 7.32 billion yuan.
The announcement was made on January 27, with both the bidding deadline and opening time scheduled for February 17.
The bidding notice stated that the parking spaces to be auctioned off include 9,228 spaces that are already built, as well as an additional 14,570 spaces that can be added. The winning bidder for the additional parking spaces will need to complete construction and put them into use within two years after the agreement takes effect.
After this matter was reported by the media, it quickly sparked public outrage.
The urban management department in Zhuhai claimed that the transfer of operating rights is to “regulate the operation and management of parking spaces” and is carried out “legally and compliantly.” The department also acknowledged that currently, parking spaces are priced “according to government standards,” but there may be “adjustments to the charging standards” in the future.
Many netizens expressed their views, stating that roadside parking spaces are originally public resources meant for the use of citizens for free. Now, charging for parking just because of a painted white line is both illegal and unreasonable. The money spent by car owners when buying fuel already includes road maintenance fees and fuel taxes, so there should be no additional charges. Some netizens also questioned, “Is the government running out of money?” and “Is there no hope for Zhuhai in the next ten years? This is just one sign of decline.”
According to a report by Nandu Net on February 17, the “Paid transfer of the operation rights of municipal roads’ on-street parking spaces in Zhuhai City” was scheduled for bidding on February 17, 2025, at 10:30 am. However, 13 minutes before the project’s opening bid, the Zhuhai Public Resources Trading Center issued a “postponement notice,” rescheduling the bidding deadline and opening time to February 24, 2025, at 10:30 am.
Former Chinese media personnel Zhao Lanjian told New Tang Dynasty that China’s economy continues to decline, and the authorities are trying every means to make money whenever there is an opportunity. The entire event illustrates that the interests of the Chinese Communist Party are turning all resources into their own, with public facilities becoming tools for private profit-making.
In recent years, numerous local governments in China have faced financial crises and resorted to selling off assets for money. Many cities have auctioned off parking space operation rights as part of their financial strategies.
In October 2021, the Southwest United Property Rights Trading Network announced the auction of the “30-year operation rights transfer of sightseeing buses and stalls in the Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area in Sichuan,” with a listed base price of 1.71 billion yuan.