MNI BRIEF: China To Increase Spending Stimulus Measures: NDRC

The recent sporadic outbreaks of Covid-19 ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday will inevitably hit the consumer market and the National Development and Reform Commission will increase stimulus measures in response to lift residents' incomes and support spending, said Yan Pengcheng, director of the NDRC Comprehensive Department, at a briefing on Tuesday.

The NDRC will encourage cities with car purchase limits to release more license plates, said Yan. The commission will also improve the recycling system for used home appliances and support the replacement of aging appliances and the upgrade of durable goods, Yan said.

"In recent years, rural consumption has continued to grow faster than urban consumption, which is an important focus for tapping spending potential," said Yan, adding that e-commerce, logistics and modern services should be further improved in rural areas. China's retail sales fell by 3.9% in 2020 despite the better-than-expected GDP growth of 2.3%.