Tokyo

REGULATORS around the world are getting tougher on carmakers after a series of cheating scandals on fuel economy and emissions, with China set to become the strictest, according to Ford Motor Co chief executive officer Mark Fields.

"The regulatory environment around the world is becoming more and more strict, particularly on things like greenhouse gases and fuel economy," Mr Fields told reporters on Saturday in Beijing, ahead of China's biggest car show that opens next week. Going by the rules that are being proposed, China will be the toughest regulatory regime over the next five years "given some of the societal factors around air pollution", he said.