China will pursue tailored strategies to unlock the consumption potential of rural area, taking into consideration varying development levels and population sizes, paving the way for diverse regional development paths, a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce announced at a press conference on Tuesday.
The measures unveiled on Tuesday aim to unlock the potential of counties and smaller cities, tapping into these vast lower-tier markets as a new source of domestic demand and economic growth.
Noting that each of China's county-level administrative divisions has unique conditions, Li Jialu, director of the Ministry's Department of Circulation Development, said that the measures will provide clear guidance and support, while leaving ample room for local adaptation.
"For counties with dense populations and strong economies, our focus is on quality improvement and setting benchmarks. These areas possess strong consumption potential and a solid industrial foundation, making them core drivers of county-level consumption upgrades. We will promote urban-level consumption standards, attract flagship stores and high-quality commercial complexes, and create top-tier consumption platforms to keep mid- to high-end spending locally. At the same time, we encourage innovation and pilot initiatives, proactively developing new business models tailored to local characteristics and striving to create models for others to follow," said Li.
"For counties with moderate populations and economic foundations, the priority is to consolidate existing strengths while unlocking potential and empowering local features. These counties make up the majority in China, with residents enjoying relative stability and steadily increasing consumption needs, presenting significant room for growth. We must not only build on achievements such as comprehensive commercial network coverage by further upgrading facilities, diversifying services, and enhancing convenience and quality, to steadily enhance consumer convenience and overall quality. At the same time, we should also leverage local strengths. By tapping into unique assets like eco-tourism, wellness tourism, and traditional folk culture, we can create distinctive county-level brands and simultaneously improve supporting commercial infrastructure," he said.
Li said that in counties with smaller populations and economies, the focus is on ensuring basic needs are met and providing safeguards by centering efforts around the county seat, strengthening coordination of trade and logistics, and improving fundamental commercial services wherever possible.
China adopts targeted strategies to boost county-level consumption: commerce official
