By Yew Lun Tian
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will launch a series of activities next month to boost domestic consumption, including an expo on consumer goods in the southern province of Hainan, the commerce ministry said on Sunday.
Expanding domestic consumption is a priority in China’s “dual circulation” economic strategy presented last May, which also called for a reduced dependence on foreign markets.
As China enters a stretch of public holidays for Labour Day, it will formally kick off the month-long campaign on May 1 in Shanghai with activities including a car show, Gao Feng, a commerce ministry spokesman told a press conference on Sunday.
Other cities such as Beijing, Chongqing and Suzhou will also hold sales in May, he added.
Ecommerce platforms will also offer sales on food, travel, cultural, sporting products by “good quality brands” for half a month.
Events planned in other cities include a food fair in Yangzhou city in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu from this Thursday and a fair from May 12 in Guangzhou city of the southern Guangdong province that showcases well known brands.
The southern city of Haikou in the Hainan province will hold an inaugural consumer goods expo from May 7-10, Gao added.
(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; editing by David Evans)