According to a Ministry of Commerce announcement on August 18, in order to implement the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and to guide local governments to stimulate the vitality of lower-tier markets according to local conditions, the Ministry of Commerce, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Financial Regulatory Commission, recently jointly issued the "Opinions on Further Stimulating the Vitality of Lower-Tier Markets and Enhancing County-Level Consumption" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which systematically deploys key tasks for stimulating the vitality of lower-tier markets.

The "Opinions" thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress and its subsequent plenary sessions, give full play to the strategic supporting role of the lower-level market in expanding the space for domestic demand growth and building a strong domestic market, learn from and apply the experience of the "Ten Thousand Villages Project", implement differentiated policies to optimize consumption channels, enrich brand supply, improve service capabilities, create distinctive consumption scenarios according to local conditions, continuously prosper the county-level consumer market, and better meet the diverse and high-quality needs of the people.

The "Opinions" document proposes key support measures to revitalize county-level consumption. First, it supports the upgrading of county-level consumption channels, accelerates the renewal of existing commercial facilities, optimizes the layout of commercial outlets, improves supporting commercial services, and revitalizes idle resources and assets. Second, it promotes innovation in county-level business formats and brand building, guides chain enterprises to accelerate their expansion into lower-tier cities, promotes local brands to uphold tradition while innovating, and develops emerging business formats according to local conditions. Third, it optimizes the supply of goods and services in counties, expands the supply of high-quality and reasonably priced goods, accelerates the improvement of service formats such as those for the elderly and children, and promotes the integrated development of commerce, agriculture, culture, tourism, and sports. Fourth, it further enhances the modernization level of county-level circulation, improves the efficiency of urban and rural circulation networks, and guides the coordinated development of online and offline channels. Fifth, it strengthens consumption security capabilities, promotes stable employment to expand income-generating channels, and strengthens entrepreneurship and housing support to unleash consumption potential.

The "Opinions" emphasize the integration of factors of production and the construction of a favorable business environment. It strengthens policy guarantees in areas such as fiscal funding, financial services, and land use support, and creates a favorable consumption environment through measures such as improving consumer dispute resolution mechanisms. This aims to promote the aggregation of resources and policies in lower-tier markets and further stimulate consumption in county-level areas.

Next, the Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments to strengthen overall coordination, refine implementation measures, and promote the effective implementation of various policies to provide a favorable development environment for stimulating the vitality of lower-tier markets and contribute to building a strong domestic market. (Source: Ministry of Commerce)