China's consumer market to remain key driver of economic growth in 2025: official

A senior official from the National Development and Reform Commission on Friday emphasized that China's massive consumer market will continue to be a major advantage in 2025, with the government set to introduce measures to enhance consumer spending and boost economic development.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Xiao Weiming, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, reviewed the consumption trends in 2024.

Xiao highlighted the strong performance of China's consumption market in 2024, where both bulk and service consumption saw notable increases. Looking ahead to 2025, he expressed confidence that the market will continue to thrive, driven by the emergence of new consumption patterns.

"In 2025, I believe that the advantages of China's super-scale consumer market will remain unchanged, the supporting conditions and fundamental trends for positive consumption will stay unchanged, and the consumer market will continue to grow steadily," said Xiao.

To drive consumption growth this year, China will launch a broad-based initiative, encompassing a range of policies and measures across different sectors, according to Xiao.

"More efforts will be made to promote income growth and reduce the burden on residents. Large-scale vocational training programs will be introduced to help workers enhance their skills and increase their income. Based on local conditions, steps will be taken to develop industries, empower counties, and enrich people in an integrated manner. Everything possible will be done to expand channels for farmers to increase incomes," said Xiao.

The basic pensions for retirees will be appropriately raised, and the basic pension benefits and government subsidies for medical insurance of rural and non-working urban residents will also be increased, said Xiao, adding that further efforts will be made to strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of those in flexible employment and new forms of employment.

In addition, more efforts will be made to enrich the supply of consumer products and services, cultivate new drivers of consumption, and improve the overall consumption environment, the official noted.

China's consumer market to remain key driver of economic growth in 2025: official

A growing number of the Chinese elderly citizens have embraced a "migratory birds" lifestyle to spend winter in warmer areas in recent years, boosting local hospitality industry.

The Guangxi Beihai International Passenger Port, in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is recently witnessing an increasing number of tourists, especially middle-aged and elderly people from the northern parts of China.

Colorful activities are held at the port to welcome the visitors, including lively folk song and dance performances, a rich variety of local cultural and creative accessories for sale, and foods with local characteristics.

"We first came to Beihai in 2019. My parents have been living here since then, and I travel back and forth. They have lived here for five years," said Pan Nan, a resident from northwest China's Gansu Province.

Beihai is located in the subtropics with a mild climate all year round, and the average temperature in winter is around 18 degrees Celsius. Many middle-aged and elderly people choose to spend the winter here and enjoy life together.

"What I am painting now is the mangroves in Beihai. I come from Shandong Province and I also have a property in Jiaodong Peninsula. I may stay there for a few months in the summer and spend most of the time here," said Li Baochun, another resident.

Many elderly people choose to rent homestays or hotels, and some even bought local properties in Beihai, making the city their second home.

"Now I basically live here in Beihai. Only after June in the summer, I go back to Datong for four months. Then I come back right after the National Day. I spend eight months here every year," said Li Yumei, a resident from north China's Shanxi Province.

According to statistics, the number of people living temporarily in Beihai increased from 150,000-160,000 in 2018 to more than 500,000 in 2023.

Seniors' embracing of 'migratory-bird' lifestyle contributes to Guangxi's tourism boom