An official in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing has called on Chinese cadres to lead by example in boosting consumption, as Beijing counts on domestic demand to offset external shocks when Donald Trump assumes the US presidency for a second time.
“We must lead in consumption, promote consumption and guide consumption,” Gao Hongbo, party secretary of Chongqing’s Rongchang district, said at its economic work meeting on Monday, according to a video released on the district’s official social media account.
“I hope everyone here buys a new set of clothes before the Lunar New Year – not just for yourself, but also for your family members and children.”
He also encouraged officials to dine out with their families on weekends, citing the district’s average restaurant bill for such occasions of 60 to 100 yuan (US$8.18 to US$13.64) a head.
“If 10,000 people do this, it could generate 1 million yuan in revenue for small business owners [in the catering sector] in a week,” Gao said.
His call comes as Beijing steps up efforts to boost consumption, a top priority on this year’s economic agenda, as reviving the country’s sluggish domestic demand has become more urgent amid renewed tariff threats from Trump, who will take office on January 20.
The National Development and Reform Commission – China’s top economic planning agency – and the Ministry of Finance announced on Wednesday an expansion of a trade-in scheme to include four more home appliance categories: microwave ovens, dishwashers, rice cookers and water purifiers.
