China’s tax refund stores top 18,000: official

The number of tax refund stores in China has exceeded 18,000, about four times the number recorded at the end of 2024, an official from the Ministry of Commerce said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The announcement came amid the emergence of the new "China Haul" trend on social media, with international visitors unboxing items they bought in China and sharing their shopping experiences.

The new trend vividly reflects that "Shopping in China" is increasingly recognized and loved by tourists from other countries, said Yang Mu, director general of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion under the Ministry of Commerce, at the press conference.

Yang introduced that in recent years, building on the continued expansion of China's visa-free entry policy, a series of policy measures have been rolled out to make it easier for foreign visitors to shop in China, including the continuous upgrading of tax refund policies.

Meanwhile, the rapid growth in the number of tax refund stores has given a further boost to inbound spending, Yang said.

"China has kept improving its consumption environment. This includes supporting the upgrading and renovation of key commercial districts, increasing the number of departure tax refund stores, improving multilingual services, and enhancing payment convenience. Policy briefings have been held domestically, while overseas promotion has been carried out through Chinese embassies and consulates. Currently, the number of tax refund stores nationwide has exceeded 18,000, a fourfold increase over the end of 2024," Yang said.

China’s tax refund stores top 18,000: official

China’s tax refund stores top 18,000: official

China's cumulative outbound investment has ranked among the world's top three for nine consecutive years, with an increasing focus on emerging sectors such as the digital economy and green development, an official from the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing on the development of the commerce sector during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Zhao Chunfeng, director of the ministry's Department of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, said China's outbound investment has maintained steady and orderly growth.

"By the end of 2025, China's outbound investment stock reached nearly 3.4 trillion U.S. dollars, ranking among the top three globally for nine consecutive years. In the first nine months of this year, China's total outbound direct investment across all sectors amounted to 128.62 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting steady and orderly growth. Overall, China's position as a major global investor continues to strengthen," he said.

Zhao said the country is channeling more capital into emerging fields, particularly the green and digital sectors, to deliver benefits to both China and the whole world.

"In the first three quarters of this year, our data show that outbound investment in the green, low-carbon, and digital sectors grew by over 20 percent year on year, outpacing that of overall outbound investment. This highlights an increasingly focus [of China's outbound investment] on green and digital sectors. The relevant projects have also effectively facilitated industrial transformation and upgrading in host countries, resulting in mutually beneficial outcomes," said Zhao.

China remains among top three global investors for 9th year: official