China-NPC Briefing/Consumption
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of press conference in progress, reporters
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"Consumption serves as the main engine driving economic growth. In 2025, China implemented a dedicated initiative to boost consumption, steadily expanding the consumer market. Total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 50 trillion yuan for the first time, with consumption contributing 52 percent to economic growth."
China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. People on pedestrian street
Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of people at shopping mall; cultural performance in progress
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress (starting with shot 4):
"More specifically, first, consumption structure continued to upgrade. The expanded consumer goods trade-in program benefited 366 million people. The China International Import Expo helped meet diverse consumer demand. Second, service consumption potential was further unlocked. Retail sales of services grew by 5.5 percent, with spending on culture, tourism, recreation and travel maintaining double-digit growth. Digital, green and health-related consumption continued to expand."
Shangqiu City, Henan Province, central China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Aerial shot of temple fair, crowds of visitors
7. Various of Sichuan Opera face-changing performance, other folk activities in progress; visitors
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Tourists at Temple of Heaven
Shanghai, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. View of Yuyuan Garden; visitors
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"Third, inbound consumption gained significant momentum. People from more countries can now visit China without a visa, and departure tax refund policies were optimized. China remained a destination of choice for travel and shopping. Year-round sales of goods eligible for a departure tax refund nearly doubled. Notably, the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port triggered a new wave of tourism and retail spending."
FILE: Hainan Province, south China - Jan 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Aerial shot of shopping complex
12. Customers selecting products at duty-free shop
FILE: Haikou City, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of customers, stores in Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress (starting with shot 13):
"This year, we will continue expanding domestic demand as a strategic underpinning, vigorously boost consumption and work to build a strong domestic market. On the supply side, we will increase supply of high-quality consumer goods and services. We will carry out a program of quality upgrade in the consumer services sector and move faster to cultivate the growth areas in services consumption. We will optimize the trade-in policy for consumer goods and expand and upgrade goods consumption. We will nourish the environment for international consumers, develop more consumption scenarios, and organize a series of 'Shopping in China' events."
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - Oct 1-4, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Customers in Shenzhen's first AI ecosystem flagship store
16. Various of customers trying AI-driven products, robots, interacting with AI agent
17. Various of products on display, customers
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"On the demand side, we will step up efforts both to improve living standards and increase consumer spending. We will promote high-quality employment and formulate and implement income growth plans for urban and rural residents to increase their spending power. We will make steady progress in ensuring more equitable access to basic public services and improve education, child care, elderly care, and medical security systems so that consumers will feel freer to spend."
FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Various of customers shopping for home appliances, electronic products
China's total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed the 50-trillion-yuan milestone for the first time in 2025, with consumption contributing 52 percent to the country's economic growth, a spokesperson for the national legislature said on Wednesday, as he outlined further policy efforts to boost domestic demand this year.
Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), made the remarks at a press conference held ahead of the opening of the session scheduled for Thursday in Beijing .
"Consumption serves as the main engine driving economic growth. In 2025, China implemented dedicated initiatives to boost consumption, steadily expanding the consumer market. Total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 50 trillion yuan for the first time, with consumption contributing 52 percent to economic growth," he noted.
The spokesman also outlined three key areas and detailed the various measures taken within those which helped drive up consumption last year.
"First, consumption structure continued to upgrade. The expanded consumer goods trade-in program benefited 366 million people. The China International Import Expo helped meet diverse consumer demand. Second, service consumption potential was further unlocked. Retail sales of services grew by 5.5 percent, with spending on culture, tourism, recreation and travel maintaining double-digit growth. Digital, green and health-related consumption continued to expand," he said.
"Third, inbound consumption gained significant momentum. People from more countries can now visit China without a visa, and departure tax refund policies were optimized. China remained a destination of choice for travel and shopping. Year-round sales of goods eligible for a departure tax refund nearly doubled. Notably, the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port triggered a new wave of tourism and retail spending," He said.
Looking to the year ahead, Lou said further steps will be taken to drive domestic demand, spur consumer spending and upgrade the quality of the service sector.
"This year, we will continue expanding domestic demand as a strategic underpinning, vigorously boost consumption and work to build a strong domestic market. On the supply side, we will increase supply of high-quality consumer goods and services. We will carry out a program of quality upgrade in the consumer services sector and move faster to cultivate the growth areas in services consumption. We will optimize the trade-in policy for consumer goods and expand and upgrade goods consumption. We will nourish the environment for international consumers, develop more consumption scenarios, and organize a series of 'Shopping in China' events," said the spokesman.
"On the demand side, we will step up efforts both to improve living standards and increase consumer spending. We will promote high-quality employment and formulate and implement income growth plans for urban and rural residents to increase their spending power. We will make steady progress in ensuring more equitable access to basic public services and improve education, child care, elderly care, and medical security systems so that consumers will feel freer to spend," Lou continued.
The spokesman also noted that the NPC Standing Committee will oversee the building of a unified national market and advancing rural revitalization in 2026. Legislation on social assistance, medical security, and childcare services is also slated for deliberation to channel more resources into areas concerning people's wellbeing, he added.
Lou was speaking at a press conference shortly before the beginning of the "two sessions", a major event in China's political calendar, which refers to the annual meetings of the NPC, China's highest organ of state power, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.
The meetings have gathered thousands of national lawmakers and political advisors from across the country to the Chinese capital.
China-NPC Briefing/Consumption
Dateline : March 4, 2026/File
Location : China
Duration : 3'44
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of press conference in progress, reporters
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"Consumption serves as the main engine driving economic growth. In 2025, China implemented a dedicated initiative to boost consumption, steadily expanding the consumer market. Total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 50 trillion yuan for the first time, with consumption contributing 52 percent to economic growth."
China - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. People on pedestrian street
Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of people at shopping mall; cultural performance in progress
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress (starting with shot 4):
"More specifically, first, consumption structure continued to upgrade. The expanded consumer goods trade-in program benefited 366 million people. The China International Import Expo helped meet diverse consumer demand. Second, service consumption potential was further unlocked. Retail sales of services grew by 5.5 percent, with spending on culture, tourism, recreation and travel maintaining double-digit growth. Digital, green and health-related consumption continued to expand."
Shangqiu City, Henan Province, central China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Aerial shot of temple fair, crowds of visitors
7. Various of Sichuan Opera face-changing performance, other folk activities in progress; visitors
Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Tourists at Temple of Heaven
Shanghai, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. View of Yuyuan Garden; visitors
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"Third, inbound consumption gained significant momentum. People from more countries can now visit China without a visa, and departure tax refund policies were optimized. China remained a destination of choice for travel and shopping. Year-round sales of goods eligible for a departure tax refund nearly doubled. Notably, the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port triggered a new wave of tourism and retail spending."
FILE: Hainan Province, south China - Jan 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Aerial shot of shopping complex
12. Customers selecting products at duty-free shop
FILE: Haikou City, Hainan Province, south China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Various of customers, stores in Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress (starting with shot 13):
"This year, we will continue expanding domestic demand as a strategic underpinning, vigorously boost consumption and work to build a strong domestic market. On the supply side, we will increase supply of high-quality consumer goods and services. We will carry out a program of quality upgrade in the consumer services sector and move faster to cultivate the growth areas in services consumption. We will optimize the trade-in policy for consumer goods and expand and upgrade goods consumption. We will nourish the environment for international consumers, develop more consumption scenarios, and organize a series of 'Shopping in China' events."
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - Oct 1-4, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Customers in Shenzhen's first AI ecosystem flagship store
16. Various of customers trying AI-driven products, robots, interacting with AI agent
17. Various of products on display, customers
Beijing, China - March 4, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Lou Qinjian, spokesman, fourth session of 14th National People's Congress:
"On the demand side, we will step up efforts both to improve living standards and increase consumer spending. We will promote high-quality employment and formulate and implement income growth plans for urban and rural residents to increase their spending power. We will make steady progress in ensuring more equitable access to basic public services and improve education, child care, elderly care, and medical security systems so that consumers will feel freer to spend."
FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Various of customers shopping for home appliances, electronic products
China's total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed the 50-trillion-yuan milestone for the first time in 2025, with consumption contributing 52 percent to the country's economic growth, a spokesperson for the national legislature said on Wednesday, as he outlined further policy efforts to boost domestic demand this year.
Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), made the remarks at a press conference held ahead of the opening of the session scheduled for Thursday in Beijing .
"Consumption serves as the main engine driving economic growth. In 2025, China implemented dedicated initiatives to boost consumption, steadily expanding the consumer market. Total retail sales of consumer goods surpassed 50 trillion yuan for the first time, with consumption contributing 52 percent to economic growth," he noted.
The spokesman also outlined three key areas and detailed the various measures taken within those which helped drive up consumption last year.
"First, consumption structure continued to upgrade. The expanded consumer goods trade-in program benefited 366 million people. The China International Import Expo helped meet diverse consumer demand. Second, service consumption potential was further unlocked. Retail sales of services grew by 5.5 percent, with spending on culture, tourism, recreation and travel maintaining double-digit growth. Digital, green and health-related consumption continued to expand," he said.
"Third, inbound consumption gained significant momentum. People from more countries can now visit China without a visa, and departure tax refund policies were optimized. China remained a destination of choice for travel and shopping. Year-round sales of goods eligible for a departure tax refund nearly doubled. Notably, the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port triggered a new wave of tourism and retail spending," He said.
Looking to the year ahead, Lou said further steps will be taken to drive domestic demand, spur consumer spending and upgrade the quality of the service sector.
"This year, we will continue expanding domestic demand as a strategic underpinning, vigorously boost consumption and work to build a strong domestic market. On the supply side, we will increase supply of high-quality consumer goods and services. We will carry out a program of quality upgrade in the consumer services sector and move faster to cultivate the growth areas in services consumption. We will optimize the trade-in policy for consumer goods and expand and upgrade goods consumption. We will nourish the environment for international consumers, develop more consumption scenarios, and organize a series of 'Shopping in China' events," said the spokesman.
"On the demand side, we will step up efforts both to improve living standards and increase consumer spending. We will promote high-quality employment and formulate and implement income growth plans for urban and rural residents to increase their spending power. We will make steady progress in ensuring more equitable access to basic public services and improve education, child care, elderly care, and medical security systems so that consumers will feel freer to spend," Lou continued.
The spokesman also noted that the NPC Standing Committee will oversee the building of a unified national market and advancing rural revitalization in 2026. Legislation on social assistance, medical security, and childcare services is also slated for deliberation to channel more resources into areas concerning people's wellbeing, he added.
Lou was speaking at a press conference shortly before the beginning of the "two sessions", a major event in China's political calendar, which refers to the annual meetings of the NPC, China's highest organ of state power, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body.
The meetings have gathered thousands of national lawmakers and political advisors from across the country to the Chinese capital.
ID : 8468573
Published : 2026-03-04 13:35
Last Modified : 2026-03-04 19:27:08
Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
More
