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The State Council Information Office held a press conference at 10:00 AM on Friday, inviting Sheng Qiuping, Vice Minister of Commerce, Liu Ping, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Li Gang, Director of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce, and Zhu Min, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, to introduce the consumption month activities related to the construction of international consumption centers in China, and to answer questions from reporters.

The following is a transcript of the press conference

Deputy Director and Spokesperson of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office, Xing Huina

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to the press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council. Today, we have invited Mr. Sheng Qiuping, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, to introduce the consumption month activities related to China's international consumption center cities and to answer questions of concern to everyone. Also present at today's press conference are: Mr. Liu Ping, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Mr. Li Gang, Director of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce, and Mr. Zhu Min, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Now, let Mr. Sheng Qiuping give an overview of the situation first.

Vice Minister of Commerce, Sheng Qiuping

Dear media friends, good morning. First of all, thank you for your long-term attention to and support for our commercial work, especially for your care and support for consumer affairs. I am pleased to introduce to you the details of the China International Consumption Center Cities Premium Consumption Month (hereinafter referred to as the "Consumption Month") event.

Recently, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting to analyze and study the current economic situation and economic work, emphasizing the need to combine promoting consumption with benefiting people's livelihoods, enhance consumption structures, and cultivate new consumption formats. The Ministry of Commerce has earnestly implemented these directives, deepening the implementation of the "trade-in for new" policy for consumer goods, and solidly advancing the high-quality development of service consumption. In collaboration with the five cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Chongqing, which are being cultivated as international consumption centers, the Ministry organized a consumption month event, with the launch ceremony held in Shanghai on a designated date.

This consumption month is a highlight of the "Consumption Promotion Year." The overall consideration is to fully leverage the leading role of international consumption centers, coordinate commodity consumption and service consumption, domestic and imported goods, online and offline channels, traditional brands and new national trends, local residents and inbound tourists, and better utilize the "buying globally, selling globally" functions of key exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the Canton Fair. This will enrich the supply of first-launch products and services, promote new consumption formats, and carry out a series of high-quality consumption promotion activities. It is important to note that "high-quality" does not simply refer to luxury or high-end consumer goods, but rather products and services that meet standards in quality, design, and craftsmanship, are accessible to the general public and cover a broader range, align with trends of green, intelligent, healthy, and fashionable development, and can enhance the quality of life for the people and meet the needs of a better life.

The consumption month adopts the "++" format, focusing on individual premium launch seasons and the large consumption sector, organizing consumption promotion activities. "+" refers to organizing individual premium launch seasons. International premium goods, local new products, domestic trendy goods, and Chinese time-honored brands will be showcased through first launches, first shows, and first exhibitions. Relying on key exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the Canton Fair, new products will be launched in a concentrated manner. Core commercial districts and pedestrian streets will cultivate a number of launch centers, allowing consumers to stay informed and experience new products and services in a timely manner. "+" refers to focusing on four major sections: premium shopping, exquisite dining, classic tourism, and exciting performances, organizing a series of consumption-themed activities.

In the aspect of "Premium Shopping," organizations focus on pedestrian streets, commercial districts, shopping malls, department stores, supermarkets, outlet malls, duty-free shops, and tax refund stores for departing travelers. They set up special zones and counters for international luxury goods and domestic "trendy" products, launching promotional activities to help consumers benefit from shopping for global goods.

In terms of "exquisite cuisine," events such as the Global Food Festival, the Boutique Food Week, and the Chinese Specialty Food Festival will be held. Chinese time-honored brands, Black Pearl, Michelin, and other catering enterprises will be organized to introduce more new set menus, specialty dishes, and local snacks, allowing the public to enjoy a wider variety of culinary delights.

In the "Classic Tourism" sector, five cities have organized and released boutique routes for city walks, inbound tourism, wellness tourism, and cruise tourism. They have also organized a series of activities such as "Traveling with Events" and "Traveling with Performances" to provide the public with more and better options for travel.

In terms of "Spectacular Performances," leveraging the platform resources of events like the China International Import Expo and the Canton Fair, a series of high-quality exhibitions showcasing traditional culture, contemporary art, home furnishings, and more are being held. Currently, the third phase of the Canton Fair, themed "Exhibition of Beautiful Life," is taking place in Guangzhou. Additionally, a series of outstanding cultural performances and sports events will be launched to enrich the cultural and recreational life of the public.

Dear media friends, this year marks the first time we are hosting the China International Premium Consumption Month. We warmly welcome everyone to actively cover and report on the event, and to widely promote it, so that more domestic and international enterprises and consumers can learn about, be aware of, and participate in the event. Thank you.

Xing huina

Thank you, Vice Minister Sheng Qiuping, for the introduction. We now welcome questions from everyone. Please identify your news organization before asking a question. Please raise your hand if you have a question.

CCTV reporter from China Central Radio and Television Station

The 20th Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party emphasized the need to actively promote the primary economy. As mentioned earlier, this high-end consumption month event will highlight the primary economy and create a high-end product launch season. Could you please provide specific arrangements? Thank you.

Sheng qiuping

Please have Director Li Gang from the Department of Market Operations and Consumption Promotion respond.

Director of the Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Li Gang

Thank you for your question. The term "first-launch economy" refers to enterprises' initial release of new products, new business forms, new models, new services, and new technologies. Generally, these products and services are characterized by fashion, trendiness, and high quality, effectively meeting the diverse and high-quality demands of consumers. This consumption month places the creation of a high-quality first-launch season at the forefront, aiming to deeply implement the spirit of the 20th CPC Central Committee's Third Plenary Session, vigorously promote the first-launch economy, and provide consumers with more high-quality product offerings and consumption experiences. The arrangements mainly include the following aspects:

One is to hold a variety of first-time launch, debut, and exhibition events. During the event period, five cities will organize first-time launch, debut, and exhibition activities around international luxury goods, local new products, domestic trendy products, and time-honored brands. For example, Beijing will hold a "Concentrated New Product Season," launching multiple new products. Guangzhou will host an international fashion industry conference, releasing over a thousand new items. Tianjin and Chongqing will hold a winter car culture festival and a "Chongqing Smart Manufacturing" launch event, showcasing over a hundred classic vintage cars and releasing several popular new models.

Second, a batch of high-level specialty flagship stores will be opened. In recent years, relevant cities have actively introduced various brand flagship stores. In the year, Shanghai and Beijing respectively introduced 1,073 and 901 flagship stores. During the event, these five cities will open a new batch of flagship stores from both domestic and international well-known brands, covering many fields such as clothing, cosmetics, dining, and sports and culture, including many creative concept stores and flagship stores. We look forward to everyone going to "check in" and "unlock" more new consumption scenarios and spaces.

Three is the launch of a batch of first-release platform carriers. In recent years, various regions have actively cultivated first-release platform carriers, providing strong support for the development of the first-release economy. For example, Beijing has launched the Wangfujing Pedestrian Street, Shougang Park, and other global first-release centers; Shanghai has introduced Zhangyuan, Xintiandi, and other new landmarks for global new product first releases; Guangzhou will combine urban landmarks and Lingnan-style landscapes to create first-release spaces such as the Tianhe Road Business District; Tianjin will introduce cultural centers and other first-release economic agglomeration areas; Chongqing will announce first-release economic agglomeration areas and first-release centers such as the Jiefangbei-Chaotianmen and Guanyinqiao areas.

Four is the introduction of support policies for the initial economic development. During the event, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou will provide financial support for first launches, first shows, first exhibitions, and first stores, while Chongqing will introduce special policies to support the cultivation of characteristic souvenir brands. Next, the Ministry of Commerce will also work with relevant departments to promote the issuance of policy documents supporting the development of the initial economy, thereby fostering high-quality development of the initial economy. Thank you.

daily economic journalist

We understand that the Ministry of Commerce is organizing the China International Premium Consumption Month, which mainly revolves around "++" and has a wide coverage. Could you briefly summarize the characteristics of this event? Thank you.

Sheng qiuping

Thank you for your question. Regarding the main features of the Consumption Month event, I would like to summarize it with "one theme, three highlights."

Firstly, the "One Theme" is to create a landmark consumer event. Through the joint efforts of government departments, chambers of commerce, associations, and numerous enterprises, we aim to fully leverage the synergistic effects of high-level consumption promotion activities in international consumption hub cities, leading and driving the nation. We strive to make the consumption month a landmark consumer event. By benchmarking against international standards in terms of the scope and number of participating enterprises, the quality of products and services, and consumer recognition, we gradually expand its influence and establish a mechanism-based, international consumer event brand. We hope that through this event, more high-quality products and excellent services can benefit a wider range of consumers, truly making the consumption month a festival for consumers.

Secondly, the "three highlights". The first is the prominent theme of the first-mover economy, reflecting the integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and health.

This event is specifically planned and organized as the "Premium Launch Season." Preliminary statistics show that during the event, five major cities will introduce a series of premium launch, premiere, and exhibition activities. For example, Shanghai will host the "New Trends at CIIE Launch," and Chongqing will hold a press conference for the launch economy agglomeration zone, among other themed events. During the event month, these cities will establish multiple new global, Asian, and national flagship stores, allowing everyone to experience new products, services, and technologies more promptly.

At the same time, fully leverage the synergistic effects of business, travel, culture, sports, and health, and create a series of activities around four major sectors. Preliminary statistics show that during the consumption month, large cities will host events, covering various aspects such as food, clothing, daily necessities, entertainment, accommodation, and transportation. Among them, the high-end shopping sector will feature events, with cities organizing shopping streets, business districts, outlet malls, and nearly large shopping centers participating. For example, Chongqing's "Centennial Chongbai Promotion Season" will involve over brands; the exquisite dining sector will include events, such as the Guangzhou International Food Festival and the Michelin Gourmet Festival in Tianjin. In the category of time-honored brands, cities will have a total of time-honored enterprises participating, including Chinese time-honored brands, with over participating stores. The classic tourism sector will feature events, such as the Beijing Citizen Ice and Snow Season, the Guangzhou National Camping Convention, and the Chongqing World Hot Springs Wellness Tour; the exciting performances sector will include events, such as the International Skating Union Speed Skating World Cup in Beijing, the Chimelong "Breakout" Parade in Guangzhou, the first time Chimelong steps out of the theme park for a grand carnival with citizens, and the Classic Vintage Car Parade in Tianjin. Additionally, over associations including the China General Chamber of Commerce and the China Chain Store & Franchise Association will also hold events simultaneously, involving tens of thousands of member enterprises. We will soon release the event directory in collaboration with cities to facilitate public understanding and participation.

The second is the prominent main line of high-quality consumer goods, meeting the needs of the people for a better life. In terms of content, the activities include high-quality products such as international luxury brands, local new products, domestic trendy goods, Chinese time-honored brands, intangible cultural heritage products, geographical indication products, as well as high-quality international and domestic gourmet dining, travel route products, outstanding exhibition performances, and event services. In terms of form, it is not a single promotional event, but emphasizes guiding enterprises and merchants to continuously carry out activities such as "technical skill competitions, service competitions, quality improvements, and brand promotions" during the consumption month, providing a variety of value-added services to enhance consumers' sense of gain. To this end, we will organize national industry associations to advocate for industry self-discipline, honest business practices, and fair competition, achieving a win-win situation for both operators and consumers.

The third is the prominent policy support, expanding the effectiveness of the event. The dual-drive of "event + policy" is a significant feature of this event month. During the event, on one hand, we will deeply implement the policy of replacing old consumer goods with new ones, encouraging local innovations in the replacement of green and intelligent products such as smart connected cars and whole-house smart home systems, expanding the coverage of policy benefits. On the other hand, we will work with relevant departments to introduce a batch of new policies in the consumer sector. For example, we will soon study and introduce policies to promote the development of the initial economy, drive the high-quality development of the wholesale and retail industry, support the pilot construction of modern commercial and circulation systems in cities like Shanghai and Tianjin, carry out pilot reforms in automotive circulation and consumption, and promote the special action plan for healthy consumption. Five cities will also introduce supporting policies. For instance, Shanghai and Guangzhou will roll out support and reward policies for first stores, first launches, first shows, and first exhibitions; Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou will distribute coupons for dining, cultural tourism, sports, and other service consumption. These policy measures will form a synergistic effect with the consumption month activities, bringing tangible benefits to consumers. Thank you.

the first financial reporter

This year, Shanghai has hosted multiple consumption promotion events, which have been quite diverse in content. Could you please tell us what activities Shanghai has prepared for the China International Premium Consumption Month? Thank you.

Liu Ping, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government

Thank you for your question. This high-end consumption month coincides with the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) being held in Shanghai. Shanghai will, in accordance with the unified deployment of the Ministry of Commerce, combine the amplification of the spillover effects of the CIIE, and organize the "Welcome to CIIE Consumption Carnival" event. This event, themed around "Five New Aspects of Shanghai," integrates "high-end" and "specialty," meticulously organizing a series of activities in various aspects.

First, in terms of premier product launches, we will organize a series of activities titled "New Trends at CIIE Launches." This year's CIIE will showcase numerous representative new products, technologies, and services. We will combine these with the launch of new CIIE products to hold the "Embrace CIIE Launch Season," featuring "Three Product Launch Events" of CIIE new products, domestic trendsetters, and Silk Road cloud products in landmarks such as Nanjing Road, and introducing themed launch events like high-end jewelry exhibitions, Sino-French artisan garden parties, and national trend showcases, allowing citizens to better experience the CIIE atmosphere and purchase global goods. We will also host the "National Goods and Culture Splendor Month" event, focusing on the transformation of CIIE exhibits into commodities, building platforms for international economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchange, gathering distinctive national products from countries like France and Hungary, and launching themed activities featuring national imported goods and cultural customs, so that everyone can experience the world's diverse cultural feast without leaving Shanghai.

The second initiative is in the realm of gourmet delicacies, where we will organize a series of activities titled "Global Gourmet New Flavors." We will gather over ten thousand global cuisine restaurants and more than a hundred time-honored catering enterprises across the city to collectively launch "CIIE Gourmet New Products." We encourage financial institutions to introduce CIIE-exclusive dining discount vouchers and offer combined promotions for global cuisine restaurants and time-honored catering enterprises. We warmly welcome CIIE exhibitors to experience and appreciate the new gourmet offerings at the CIIE. We will also introduce the first batch of characteristic dining districts, providing authentic and trendy Shanghai-style gourmet experiences for domestic and international consumers. Additionally, we will distribute "Enjoy Shanghai" dining consumption vouchers every Saturday in the month, and currently, over 10,000 dining establishments in Shanghai are participating in the event.

Thirdly, in the area of high-end shopping, we will organize a series of activities under the theme of "Premium Shopping, New Benefits". We will deepen the implementation of the trade-in policy, further optimize the consumer promotion policies for car replacement around "Car Consumption", and around "Home Consumption", we will add categories such as home decoration, furniture, and home textiles on top of the national large-scale subsidy categories, bringing the total number of subsidy categories to a new level. We will hold activities such as the "Consumption Renewal Season", the "Import Expo Hot-Selling Car Show", and the "Home Expo", offering consumers a wider range of product choices and richer shopping experiences. We will also organize a batch of premium shopping villages to host a "Super Discount Week", collaborating with over 100 brands to launch activities such as tax refund benefits, vacation packages, and free shipping.

In the realm of boutique tourism, a series of activities titled "Urban Joyful Travel New Scenarios" will be organized. These activities will bring together multiple key cultural and tourism spots, conduct a selection for "Must-Visit Cultural and Tourism Routes and Points," and release the most treasured scenic spots. Among the various cultural and tourism boutique routes, a selection of "Shanghai Must-Visit Cultural and Tourism Routes" will be introduced. Additionally, the "Top of the Pyramid: Ancient Egyptian Civilization Exhibition" will also open at night, better catering to the needs of CIIE exhibitors and tourists for "Night Museum Tours."

In the aspect of high-quality performances, a series of activities titled "New Experiences through Consumption Linkage" will be organized. This includes hosting the Shanghai International Arts Festival, the Shanghai Marathon, the "Why Dunhuang" Art Exhibition, and other art festivals, sports events, and cultural exhibitions that have significant influence, attraction, and innovation. Additionally, professional exhibitions such as the International Premium Wine Fair will be held. In key business districts, activities integrating commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions will be launched, creating experiential scenarios such as fashion exhibitions, cultural arts, creative markets, and music performances. Major shopping areas like Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, and Lujiazui, as well as important tourist attractions such as the Shanghai Tower, the Oriental Pearl Tower, and the "One River and One River" cruise ships, will also provide exclusive commercial, tourism, cultural, and sports exhibition benefits for CIIE badge holders. Thank you.

Beijing youth Daily Reporter

We have noted that more than a year has passed since the State Council approved the cultivation and construction of international consumption center cities in five cities including Beijing and Shanghai. How has the progress of this work been? What are the next steps being considered? Thank you.

Sheng qiuping

Thank you for your question. Cultivating and building international consumption center cities is a significant decision made by the Party Central Committee to construct a new development paradigm. The Ministry of Commerce has earnestly implemented this decision, actively coordinating with relevant departments, and guiding the five cities to focus on "internationalization," "consumption," and "centrality," thereby achieving positive progress and results in the cultivation and construction. Currently, the five cities account for over % of the national total in terms of retail sales of consumer goods, % of the national total in terms of the number of time-honored Chinese brands, over % of the national total in terms of consumer goods imports, and approximately % of the national total in terms of tax-free sales for outbound travelers. Consumption in these cities is of higher quality and more dynamic.

One is the accelerated aggregation of high-quality global consumer resources. Over the past three years, five cities have focused on expanding the import of high-quality consumer goods, promoting the expansion of service sector openness, strengthening brand cultivation, and creating new highlands for consumption upgrading. Shanghai has established itself as a distribution center for imported consumer goods, with the concentration of world-renowned high-end brands exceeding %, and the concentration of international retailers ranking among the top globally. Beijing has increased the supply of high-quality services, leveraging the advantages of being a "dual-Olympic city," hosting a number of high-level international events, and creating landmark projects such as Universal Studios, the Liangma River Waterfront, and the Chaoyang International Light Festival. The service consumption expenditure in Beijing increased by % in the first three quarters of the year. Guangzhou has promoted the premiere of original domestic and international works in the city, with the number of large and medium-sized performances ranking among the top in the country in the year.

The construction of iconic commercial districts has shown initial success. Over the past three years, five cities have accelerated the improvement of urban commercial space layout, promoted the high-quality development of pedestrian streets, advanced the construction of smart commercial districts, making shopping more comfortable and convenient for consumers. Shanghai has created two international consumption clusters in the east and west, covering core commercial areas such as Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road. Beijing has been pushing for the transformation and upgrading of commercial districts like Wangfujing and Sanlitun, with the annual foot traffic at Wangfujing surpassing 100 million. Guangzhou has revitalized historical and cultural districts such as Beijing Road and Yongqing Lane, blending "old flavors" with "new business models" seamlessly. Tianjin has promoted the reuse of idle commercial spaces, driving the iterative upgrades of commercial areas like Jin Street and Wudadao. Chongqing's Guanyinqiao commercial district has guided department stores and shopping centers to develop in a differentiated manner, introducing various forms of business such as ocean parks, urban cable cars, and animation culture, with daily foot traffic reaching over one million at its peak.

Three is the continuous improvement in the ability to lead consumption innovation. Over the past three years, the five cities have actively promoted the first-launch economy, developed new business forms and models, created new consumption scenarios, and stimulated market vitality. Shanghai took the lead in introducing supportive policies for the first-launch economy, strengthening activities like "First in Shanghai," and accumulated the introduction of over a thousand first-store brands from year to year. Tianjin promoted the revitalization and utilization of historical buildings, creating distinctive consumption scenes such as the Anligan Art Center and Minyuan Xili, and transformed the former Tianjin Thermal Power Plant site into a shopping mall, becoming a model for urban renewal. Chongqing advanced the construction of a 15-minute convenient life circle, conducted "retention, renovation, demolition, and enhancement" micro-reconstruction on the Minzhu Village community, integrating new business forms like coffee shops, teahouses, dining bars, and community canteens, rejuvenating the old community.

Four is the continuous optimization of the international consumption environment. Over three years, five cities have consistently improved the payment environment for foreign personnel, continuously enhancing consumption convenience and comfort, making it "convenient to come and willing to come" for global consumers. Shanghai has hosted the "Summer of Shanghai" international consumption season, with the number of international tourists entering the city in the first three quarters of the year reaching . million, an increase of times. Beijing has created inbound consumption-friendly commercial areas like Blue Harbor, promoting the coverage rate of foreign card machines in key commercial areas, scenic spots, and four-star or above hotels to %, enabling foreign cards to "swipe and pass through the turnstiles" for subway rides, with inbound tourist arrivals increasing . times in the first three quarters. Guangzhou has improved foreign-related services, enacting the country's first local regulation on foreign language signage in public places. The just-concluded th Canton Fair in Guangzhou received approximately million buyers from around the world in its first and second phases.

Next, the Ministry of Commerce will thoroughly implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, organize the consumption month activities well, guide five cities to build a number of shopping districts, exhibitions, and festivals with international influence, cultivate more "must-buy must-bring" products, create more "must-visit must-play" scenarios, and better meet the needs of the people for a better life. Thank you.

Dazhong Daily Dazhong News Reporter

This year's International Premium Consumption Month includes various activities such as shopping, gourmet dining, travel, and performances. Could you please explain how Shanghai will enhance the integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions to provide richer consumption products? Thank you.

Liu ping

This question is to be answered by Director Zhu Min of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.

Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, Zhu Min

Thank you for your question. Currently, Shanghai has entered a new stage of consumption transformation and upgrading. This year, several measures have been introduced to promote the integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions, and key events such as the "Summer of Shanghai" International Consumption Season have been held. We will continue to deepen the integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions, attract and expand consumption, and effectively leverage consumption's role in driving social and economic development.

One is to gather traffic and enhance quality. Leveraging the large traffic-driving effects of exhibitions, cultural and art events, tourism, and sports, for example, we provide reward support to organizers based on the number of tickets sold for large-scale concerts and music festivals, and reward organizers based on the number of participants for high-quality cultural performances, major art exhibitions, and significant sports events. The main purpose is to attract more internationally renowned and nationally top-tier performances, exhibitions, and competitions to land and gather in Shanghai, meeting the new demands for high-level, large-traffic, and high-quality exhibitions and performances. In the first three quarters of this year, Shanghai hosted . million commercial performances, attracting million audience members, with box office revenue exceeding that of the entire previous year. In October this year, we will also have major exhibition events, further elevating the level of exhibition activities.

Second, strengthen linkage and promote consumption. Enhance policy integration. This year, we have formulated the "+" consumption promotion policy system, where "+" refers to the main line of policies promoting the integration of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions, and "+" involves specific policies targeting the fields of first-time economic activities, exhibition economy, and dining consumption, aiming to comprehensively boost consumption momentum. Promote factor aggregation and create distinctive Shanghai consumption highlights. We have further enhanced the "First in Shanghai" brand, encouraging more internationally renowned brands to launch, debut, and exhibit in Shanghai, and have established more flagship stores. Since the beginning of this year, the city has added new flagship stores, among which the proportion of composite-type stores such as "products + experience," "products + dining," and "products + entertainment" has continued to rise. We have further invigorated the cruise economy. In this month, Shanghai Cruise Port will have cruise routes, and we have introduced the "+" cruise combination products, creating new consumption scenarios through sea-air linkage and ship-shore linkage.

Third, optimize management and promote development. Improve the overall balance and supporting measures for safety management, traffic organization, and atmosphere creation during consumption promotion activities, creating a favorable environment for the integrated promotion of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions. Shanghai has established the "One Thing for Marketing Activity Approval" system, simplifying the approval process for initial events, and continuously enhancing the capacity to handle large-scale events through "one-stop processing" and "one-window acceptance." Focusing on key consumption venues for overseas visitors such as shopping districts, tourist attractions, characteristic streets, and airports, strengthen the publicity and implementation of policies such as departure tax refunds. This year, the sales of departure tax refundable goods in Shanghai have exceeded 100 million yuan, with a per-customer average spending of over 10,000 yuan. Optimize multi-level cash and payment services; as mentioned by Vice Minister Sheng Qiuping, there are currently over 200,000 terminals in Shanghai that support foreign card payments. Banks in Shanghai have also distributed over 100,000 small change wallets to market entities, facilitating cash change. We have also upgraded multilingual service consultation desks, luggage storage facilities, and other international and convenient consumer service facilities. Thank you!

Nanfang Daily Reporter

The entire society is very concerned about the trends in the consumer market. Could you please provide an update on the current state of the consumer market? In addition to the China International High-end Consumer Goods Month event, what are the next steps and measures planned? Thank you.

Li Gang

Thank you for your question. This year, the consumer market has generally maintained a stable development trend. In the first three quarters, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached . trillion yuan, an increase of .% year-on-year, mainly exhibiting the following characteristics:

First, the growth momentum in major consumer spending is strong. With the accelerated manifestation of the policy effects of the "trade-in" for consumer goods, major consumer goods such as automobiles and home appliances have shown significant improvement. In a certain month, the retail sales of home appliances by enterprises above a certain scale increased by .%, setting a new high in growth rate for over three years. The growth rate of automobile retail sales turned positive for the first time in months, with the market penetration rate of new energy passenger vehicles reaching .%.

Second, service consumption demand is strong. In the first three quarters, the retail sales of services grew by .% year-on-year, faster than the retail sales of goods by . percentage points, among which, catering revenue increased by .%. Many people have traveled to a city because of a delicious dish, a sporting event, a game, or a TV series. According to relevant platform data, driven by "Black Myth: WuKong," the third quarter saw a nearly fold increase in hotel bookings in national tourist resorts in Shanxi Province.

Third, new forms of consumption are vibrant, with digital consumption growing rapidly. In the first three quarters, online retail sales of physical goods increased by .% year-on-year, accounting for .% of total retail sales of consumer goods. Green and smart consumption is highly favored. In , retail sales of high-energy-efficiency home appliances and smart home appliances both achieved double-digit growth year-on-year, with smart home appliances growing by .%. Domestic "trendy" products are well-received. In the first three quarters, the sales revenue of stores of China's time-honored brands on major e-commerce platforms has exceeded the full-year level of .

Fourth, consumption momentum in county-level areas is strong. In the first three quarters, the total retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas increased by .%, and the per capita consumption expenditure of rural residents grew by .%, both outpacing urban areas. According to commercial big data, the national rural online retail sales in the first three quarters increased by .%.

Next, the Ministry of Commerce will earnestly implement the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, based on the "three important" positions of commerce, and focus on carrying out four key areas of work:

One is to stabilize major commodities and continuously promote the implementation of the old-for-new policy for consumer goods. As of the date, the old-for-new platform for automobiles has received a total of . million applications for scrappage and update subsidies, with . million consumers purchasing . million units of major household appliances. Next, we will guide local governments to make full use of support funds such as ultra-long-term special government bonds, optimize work processes, accelerate disbursement progress, and ensure that consumers receive tangible benefits.

Second, we will organize events to continuously create a favorable market atmosphere. We will combine promoting consumption with benefiting people's livelihoods, currently focusing our efforts on hosting the flagship event of the Consumption Month. At the same time, we will emphasize key periods such as winter sports, the end of the year, and the beginning of the year, focusing on key categories such as automobiles, home appliances, and home furnishings, and organizing various consumption promotion activities that integrate commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and health.

Three is to expand new types, continuously cultivate new consumption growth points. Expand service consumption, implement policy documents that promote high-quality development of service consumption, enrich service consumption supply, and innovate service consumption scenarios. Develop digital consumption, deeply implement the digital consumption enhancement action. Expand green consumption, continuously promote the rural market for new energy vehicles and green smart home appliances.

Four is to optimize the environment, taking multiple measures to improve consumption conditions. We will deepen the cultivation and construction of international consumption center cities, accelerate the aggregation of high-quality consumption resources, and cultivate a number of inbound consumption-friendly commercial areas. Promote the renovation and upgrading of pedestrian streets and commercial facilities, advance the construction of a 15-minute convenient living circle, and drive the high-quality development of the wholesale and retail industry. Deepen the three-year action plan for county-level commerce, push forward the "Thousand Markets and Ten Thousand Stores" renovation and upgrading, implement the high-quality development project for rural e-commerce, and promote the dual increase of farmers' income and rural consumption. Thank you!

Reporter of China Daily

As one of the five national cities recognized as international consumption centers, what specific measures has Shanghai taken in the construction of an international consumption center city, and what achievements have been made? Thank you.

Liu ping

Thank you for your question. In recent years, Shanghai has focused on "internationalization," closely aligned with "consumption," and emphasized "center," comprehensively advancing the construction of an international consumption center city, serving the new development paradigm.

One is to focus on enhancing functions and exert multidimensional efforts in promoting consumption. At present, the "first-mover economy" has become an important form for Shanghai to stimulate consumption potential, with more than domestic and international brands having held new product launch events in the city. Since the beginning of this year, the city has added new first stores, among which global first stores, Asia-Pacific first stores, and national first stores account for a combined percentage. Efforts are being made to cultivate trendy brands, with the "Shanghai Fashion Week" having become a renowned fashion event. This year, overseas brands accounted for over half of the participants, and more than local designers have stepped onto the international stage. The city is promoting cross-sectoral integration among conferences, exhibitions, shopping districts, tourist attractions, cultural performances, and sports events to provide consumers with diverse consumption scenarios.

Second, support model innovation and accelerate the growth of new consumer business models. Relying on urban digital transformation, accelerate the innovation and development of e-commerce. Currently, there are over 1,000 billion-level e-commerce platforms, 100 billion-level e-commerce platforms, and 100 national-level e-commerce demonstration bases. In the first three quarters of this year, the city achieved online shopping transaction volume of 1.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%. The action plan for supporting the high-quality development of live-streaming e-commerce has been formulated and implemented. Since the beginning of this year, the city's live-streaming retail sales have exceeded 100 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of about 40%.

Thirdly, adhere to the "policy + activities" approach to continuously stimulate the vitality of the consumer market. This year, we have successfully held three benchmark consumption promotion events in succession, including the "First in Shanghai" New Product Launch Season in -, the "Wuwu Shopping Festival" in -, and the "Shanghai Summer" International Consumption Season in -. During the "Shanghai Summer" event, the number of inbound tourists reached . million, a significant year-on-year increase. A series of consumption promotion policies and measures have been introduced intensively, focusing on supporting high-quality development in the areas of first-time economic activities, convention and exhibition economy, catering consumption, and service consumption. The policy for the replacement of old consumer goods has been further strengthened, expanding the categories of products eligible for the replacement policy to include more household appliances, home furnishings, furniture, home textiles, and aging-friendly products. During the National Day holiday, sales in Shanghai's home appliance and home furnishing industry increased by % year-on-year, and the foot traffic of key enterprises also rose by more than % year-on-year. The national policy on car replacement and scrappage subsidies has been fully implemented, and the "Shanghai Action Plan for Accelerating Car Replacement Consumption" has been dynamically optimized. By synergizing consumption promotion and service optimization, the policy has driven new car sales to exceed billion yuan since its implementation.

Four is to continuously optimize the consumption environment to meet new demands for quality consumption. The plan for upgrading the energy level of commercial districts has been released, combining urban renewal to enhance the business formats of core commercial districts such as Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road, and introducing characteristic commercial streets such as Zhangyuan and Panlong Tiandi. More than 10,000 foreign card machines have been deployed, providing over 1,000 luggage storage service points in core commercial districts, 5A-level scenic spots, and subway stations. This year, we will further enrich the activities of integrated commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions, and magnify the spillover and driving effects of the China International Import Expo.

Next, we will focus on the important mission of building the "five centers," better leverage the fundamental role of consumption in economic development, continuously innovate consumption supply, cultivate new consumption hotspots, and strive to enhance the competitiveness, influence, and radiation of our international consumption center city. Thank you!

Economic Daily Reporter

The 7th CIIE is about to commence. Could you please explain how to leverage the spillover effects of the CIIE to transform exhibits into commodities and better empower premium consumption activities? Thank you.

Zhu min

Thank you for your question. The CIIE is a fast track for overseas products to enter China's large market. Shanghai has a high level of economic openness, is the world's largest trading port city, and has a very large scale of total retail sales of social consumer goods, making it the preferred location for CIIE exhibits to enter the Chinese market. While providing practical service and security for the CIIE, we also use various methods and channels to better facilitate the transformation of exhibits into commodities and exhibitors into investors.

One is to organize multiple forces to facilitate procurement transactions. Shanghai has established a procurement alliance that includes both online and offline channels, comprising cross-border e-commerce, retailers, trade service providers, exhibition and sales platforms, and other related enterprises, with a total of over 10,000 procurement professionals. Prior to the exhibition, they jointly organized supply and demand matchmaking meetings with the CIIE Bureau to pre-match procurement intentions. During the exhibition, they organized new product launches, procurement negotiations, and signing activities; after the exhibition, they provided long-term matchmaking services for exhibits entering the Chinese market through the "365 Days + 365 Days" permanent exhibition and transaction service platform. Over the past six years from the first to the last CIIE, the number of CIIE exhibit categories introduced has exceeded 10,000, with the total value of imported goods exceeding 100 billion yuan, all facilitated by the Shanghai "365 Days + 365 Days" permanent exhibition and transaction service platform.

Second, innovative and convenient measures have been introduced to enhance the efficiency of converting exhibits. The validity period of temporary import permits (customs documents) for CIIE exhibits has been extended from six months to a year, and exhibits are allowed to be transferred to special customs supervision areas after the exhibition, providing support for exhibits to continue seeking business opportunities in the domestic market after the event. The city has established Silk Road E-commerce Commodity Exhibition Halls and opened commodity exhibition sub-centers in the Yangtze River Delta region, attracting over 10,000 products from nearly 100 countries. This year, we further developed the International Exhibition Trade Promotion Platform, i.e., the "Exhibition Trade Network" launched on a specific date, offering professional services such as product display, procurement matchmaking, transaction facilitation, and contract services for exhibitors of various exhibitions, including CIIE, to support overseas exhibitors in expanding the domestic market.

Three is to build a service platform to enhance the promotion of commodity markets. We annually host the "Embrace CIIE Premiere Season," providing special support for the premiere, debut, and exhibition of CIIE products. We organize key commercial districts to hold CIIE markets, setting up bonded extension exhibition areas for CIIE exhibits in famous commercial streets and key shopping centers. We hold promotional events such as the Shanghai Online New Year Goods Festival and the Silk Road Cloud Products E-commerce Festival to transform CIIE exhibits into e-commerce products. We leverage the role of live-streaming e-commerce demonstration bases to provide live-streaming services for CIIE extension exhibits, fully showcasing the performance and features of the exhibits to increase market visibility. We also organize joint sales events for Chinese time-honored brands and CIIE exhibits, enhancing the interaction between CIIE exhibits and domestic brands. Thank you!

Xing huina

Due to time constraints, this will be the last question. Please continue to raise your hands to ask questions.

Xinhua Agency reporter

This consumption month is a highlight of the "Consumption Promotion Year." Could you please elaborate on the considerations behind organizing this event? Thank you.

Sheng qiuping

Thank you for your question. The government work report of the State Council states that this year is the "Year of Consumption Promotion," and this consumption month is the "highlight" of the Year of Consumption Promotion. The event is organized based on four considerations:

First, to better improve the long-term mechanism for expanding consumption through "activities + policies". The Third Plenary Session made important deployments on expanding the long-term mechanism for consumption and accelerating the cultivation of a complete domestic demand system. In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce has accelerated the cultivation of international consumption centers, successfully hosted the China International Consumer Goods Expo, vigorously promoted the replacement of old consumer goods with new ones, pushed for the introduction of opinions to promote high-quality development in service consumption, and carried out activities such as the Year of Consumption Boosting and the Year of Consumption Promotion, continuously improving the consumption work mechanism. On this basis, consumption month activities will be held, highlighting first launches and first shows, emphasizing new forms of consumption, and will improve the consumption activity system of "shopping festivals, consumption months, first launch seasons, and promotion years", and establish a long-term mechanism driven by both "policies and activities", to more effectively implement the strategy of expanding domestic demand.

Second, better integrate consumption promotion with improving people's livelihood. Consumption is closely related to people's livelihood. This year, we have adopted the theme "Enjoy All Year Round, Benefit All People" for our "Consumption Promotion Year" activities. In promoting the replacement of old consumer goods, we focus on giving the public a "sense of gain," expanding the scope of subsidies, and increasing the subsidy ratio. So far, millions of people have participated, driving sales exceeding 10 billion yuan. At the same time, the public has higher expectations for high-quality living. We hold consumption months, centering on the theme of "high-end consumption," aiming to guide enterprises to further enhance the level of consumption supply, promote the upgrading of consumption structure, and meet the needs of people for high-quality living.

Third, better leverage consumption's role in driving economic growth. Consumption is a crucial engine for economic growth. In the first three quarters of this year, the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by .% year-on-year, and service retail sales grew by .% year-on-year. In October, the growth rate of social consumer goods retail sales accelerated by . percentage points compared to the previous month, and the consumer market saw many positive changes. During the final sprint of the year's work, holding consumption month activities, guiding offline physical businesses to actively engage in promotional activities, and forming synergy with the "Double 11" online sales events, will further consolidate efforts, unleash consumption potential, and help achieve the annual economic and social development goals.

Fourth, better facilitate the dual circulation of the domestic and international markets. This year, we have introduced a series of policies that not only expand openness but also promote consumption, such as expanding the opening of the telecommunications, medical, and education sectors, increasing the number of visa-exempt countries, optimizing payment services, and improving duty-free shops within cities. During the Canton Fair and the China International Import Expo, we held consumption promotion events. On one hand, this was to ensure these policies take effect more effectively; on the other hand, it was to leverage our country's super-large market advantages, exerting a "strong magnetic field" effect to gather high-quality global consumer resources and enhance the attractiveness to both domestic and international consumers. Thank you.

Xing huina

Due to time constraints, today's press conference will conclude here. Thank you to the four speakers and to all the media friends. Goodbye, everyone!

Source: Ministry of Commerce

Editor/Luan Guoxian

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