China to kick off monthlong consumption campaign in five big cities

BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China will launch a monthlong campaign to promote consumption in November as part of its efforts to bolster consumer spending, the Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday.

The consumption promotion month will kick off next month in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing.

It will feature a series of activities promoting consumption in shopping, catering, tourism, exhibitions and performances, among others, according to the ministry.

Relevant departments and localities have been asked to refine their plans to implement the promotion month and introduce practical measures to foster the continuous recovery of the country's consumer market.

China introduced a large-scale equipment upgrade and consumer goods trade-in program in March this year to expand domestic demand and shore up the economy.

China's retail sales of consumer goods went up 3.3 percent year on year in the first three quarters of this year, official data showed. ■