China's National Development and Reform Commission and other departments issued
guidance to strengthen consumption infrastructure and promote positive
interaction between consumption and investment. The plan targets urban and rural
commodity trading markets, calling for upgrades to agricultural wholesale
markets, farmers' markets, rural markets and township commercial centers and
improvements to stalls, drainage, power, lighting and waste handling. It
mandates modernization of industrial consumer-goods markets—daily goods, food,
clothing, home appliances and automobiles—by enhancing warehousing, sorting,
packaging and fire-safety facilities. The guidance also pushes smart, digital
upgrades including electronic settlement, intelligent weighing, frictionless
payment and traceability to build integrated online-offline markets combining
wholesale and retail with streamlined services.
