Consumer city to be built in Guangzhou

A plan to build an international consumer center city in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, was released on Wednesday. It would be based on a consumption system with local characteristics.

The plan, the first of its kind in the country, was announced during the two-day Global Consumer Conference, which ended in the city's booming Nansha district on Wednesday. The conference brought together senior executives of about 400 retailers, manufacturers and service providers from 70 countries and regions.

Under the plan, five world-class landmark business circles such as Tianhe Road and Zhujiang New Town would be optimized, and two business circles featuring Guangdong characteristics (Lingnan) would be created.

Automobiles, fashion, beauty, leather goods and other industries would be promoted to the international market, and development of transportation, exhibitions, cultural tourism and consumption would be further integrated.

Additionally, flagship and chain stores and duty-free stores will be promoted to help optimize a diversified consumption system.

"We will offer targeted preferential policies for consumer brands, enterprise management and talent introduction, to help introduce more high-end international consumer brands," said Xie Xiaohui, the commerce authority director in Nansha district.

Guangzhou, together with Tianjin, Chongqing, Beijing and Shanghai, were approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet, in 2021 to build international consumption center cities.

Guangzhou's total consumption and foreign trade both exceeded 1 trillion yuan ($150 billion) in 2021. The city's total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 1.7 percent year-on-year in 2022, ranking among the top cities in the country and showing a strong development momentum.