China allows car owners to swap license plates

BEIJING - China's traffic authorities have approved the swapping of license plates between cars registered with the same owner.

The swap should apply to the same category of non-business vehicles and can only happen once a year. Owners can also retain an old license plate number up to two years after the car is sold, according to the traffic administration bureau of the Ministry of Public Security.

The new rule, to be effective from June 1, is among a series of measures the ministry will take to better serve the public.