China has rolled out stricter measures to manage diplomatic vehicles since January, imposing harsher punishments for traffic violations.
The Provisions on Diplomatic Vehicles Management stipulates that traffic violations by diplomatic vehicles shall be subject to punishment in strict accordance with the law and due procedures, Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said at a daily briefing on Friday.
The document, issued by the ministries of foreign affairs and public security as well as the General Administration of Customs and State Administration of Taxation, sets out for the first time that diplomatic vehicles in China are subject to quota controls and case-by-case approval, Geng said.
It is aimed at better regulation of diplomatic vehicles, including specific requirements for driving permits and compulsory purchase of third party liability insurance of no less than 1 million yuan ($146,000).
The responsibilities and means of the foreign ministry and other authorities in terms of the purchase, use and disposal of diplomatic vehicles are also specified in the provisions. China is now issuing new license plates to embassies and representative offices of international organizations.
Fierce debate over diplomatic immunity went viral on Chinese social media in June 2016, after Chen Lin, a journalist from Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television, made accusations that a vehicle registered to the US Embassy in Beijing had scratched her car and allegedly caused her injuries, for which she received no apology.
According to a post shared on her Sina Weibo account, she said a vehicle with a US Embassy license plate had scratched her car and left the scene when she tried to stop the vehicle, which later dragged her into the traffic stream and injured her.
Lin said that police told her that the owners of the vehicle "may enjoy diplomatic immunity and it's difficult to punish them."