China to open more duty-free shops to boost spending

China is planning to open more duty-free stores and facilitate the import of popular daily commodities to stimulate domestic spending amid flagging deflationary pressure.

中国计划开设更多免税商店，促进畅销生活日用品进口，以此来刺激通货紧缩压力下的国内消费。

An executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, decided on Wednesday to issue a package of policies to shore up consumption, one of the driving engines tapped by the government to support economic growth.

李克强于周三主持召开了国务院常务会议，会议决定颁布一系列政策来提振消费——消费被政府视为是促进经济增长的驱动引擎之一。

The meeting decided to open more duty-free stores at ports of entry across the country and to import more popular consumer goods, as the shopping list of Chinese overseas travelers has expanded from luxury brands to daily living products, according to a statement released after the meeting.

根据会后发布的声明，因为如今中国海外游客的购物范围已从奢侈品牌扩展到了日常生活用品，因此会议决定在全国入境口增设免税店，增加畅销消费品进口。

More than 100 million Chinese traveled overseas last year and spent more than 1 trillion yuan during their trips, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

根据商务部的数据，去年有1亿多中国人到海外旅游，共计花费1万多亿人民币。

The statement did not include details as to when and where the duty-free stores will open. However, Lu Peijun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs, said in an earlier interview that the government is considering setting up new stores at airports.

声明中并未提及免税商店开设的具体时间和地点。但海关总署副署长鲁培军在早期采访中曾说，政府计划在机场开设新商店。

Lu said China currently has 262 duty-free stores nationwide, with some offering duty-free goods for diplomatic staff.

鲁培军说，中国目前共有262家免税商店，其中一些为外交工作人员提供免税商品。

"There are not many duty-free stores at the ports of entry in China….We are considering opening more shops of this kind,… but it has to follow the willingness of the enterprises," he said.

"中国入境口的免税商店并不多……我们想要增设此种商店，……但这也必须尊重企业的意愿，"他说。

Liu Simin, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing Tourism Association, said it wouldn't be easy to get consumers to spend more in the domestic market and less overseas in a short time. "To achieve the target involves the upgrading of industrial production and the improvement of services."

北京旅游协会副秘书长刘思敏称，短期内，增加消费者在国内市场的消费，减少其在海外消费并不容易。"达到这一目标，需要升级工业生产，提高服务质量。"