Consumers prefer to go green, even without the subsidies

The imminent expiry of China's home appliance subsidy policy is unlikely to have a major impact on the nation's "white goods" market, as such incentives reshaped customers' buying habits to seek even greener products, said a leading industry executive.

The end of the subsidy policy, to which the government allocated 26.5 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) to encourage the purchase of energy-saving appliances, has fanned market speculation that demand will nosedive when it ends on May 31.

But Wang Lei, deputy secretary-general of China Household Electrical Appliances Association, said that the market would continue to experience modest growth over the next few years, largely fueled by customers' desire to upgrade electronic gadgets.