International: China’s Ministry of Commerce and eight other government departments on August 18 jointly released guidelines on further stimulating lower-tier markets and activating county-level consumption, outlining a series of measures to expand domestic demand and enhance consumption at the county level.

To support the upgrading of county-level consumption channels, the guidelines propose supporting the construction and upgrading of township commercial centers, agricultural markets and specialized township markets. They also call for attracting domestic and international brands to open their first stores in local areas and encouraging the redevelopment and renovation of existing land through various approaches.

To promote innovation in county-level commercial activities and strengthen brand development, the guidelines propose supporting the entry of cultural and fashionable products from domestic brands into county-level markets. They also call for innovations in consumption chains through greater integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industries.

To optimize the supply of goods and services at the county level, the guidelines propose ensuring “equal quality and convenience” for the same products in urban and rural areas. They also call for expanding the “15-minute convenient living areas” to county-level communities and promoting the integrated development of commerce, agriculture, culture, tourism and sports.

The guidelines also put forward measures to further modernize county-level distribution systems, enhance consumption capacity, strengthen the coordination of production factors and improve the business environment.

Among the measures are stronger financial support and efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of financial services, with the aim of creating a stronger foundation for county-level consumption and supporting the sustainable development of lower-tier markets.

Source: Jiniya-Touhid-Tuhina, China Media Group.