As external uncertainties continue to escalate, consumption, particularly in the services sector, is poised to assume an increasingly important role in underpinning the Chinese economy this year, analysts said.
分析人士指出,随着外部不确定性持续加剧,消费特别是服务消费将在今年中国经济中扮演愈发重要的支柱角色。
A high-level meeting convened by China's top leadership in late April placed high premiums on efforts to boost services consumption and strengthen the role of consumption in driving economic growth.
今年4月下旬召开的中央高层会议明确提出,要着力扩大服务消费,进一步增强消费对经济增长的拉动作用。
The meeting held by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee also called for a swift removal of restrictive measures in the consumption sector.
中共中央政治局会议还要求,抓紧破除消费领域存在的限制性措施。
Before the tone-setting meeting, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said in mid-April that "expanding services consumption will be instrumental in further tapping into untapped consumption potential and in creating a crucial engine to drive consumption growth, both in the near term and the longer run."
在此次定调会议之前,商务部部长王文涛(Wang Wentao)4月中旬曾表示,“扩大服务消费,扩大服务消费将有助于进一步挖掘未开发的消费潜力,推动形成消费新引擎,拉动短期和长期的消费增长。”
International evidence suggests that when a country's per capita GDP reaches around $15,000, its consumption structure transitions from being goods-dominant to being services-driven. Given that China's per capita GDP has already surpassed $13,000, the country's services consumption is now in a rapid growth stage, Wang said in a published article in Qiushi Journal, the flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.
王文涛在中共中央机关刊《求是》杂志撰文指出,国际经验表明,当一国人均GDP达到1.5万美元左右时,消费结构会从以物质消费为主转向以服务型消费为主。中国人均GDP已超过1.3万美元,服务消费正处在快速发展阶段。
In the first quarter of this year, retail sales of services grew by 5 percent year-on-year, outpacing the growth rate of goods retail by 0.4 percentage point, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed.
国家统计局数据显示,今年一季度,服务零售额同比增长5%,增速较商品零售快0.4个百分点。
Analysts believe that services consumption will be a primary area of focus in the government's forthcoming policy initiatives.
分析人士认为,服务消费将成为政府后续政策发力的重点领域。
"The country's trade-in policies have predominantly targeted the consumption of durable goods, which might front-load future demand," said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
经济学人智库高级经济学家徐天辰(Xu Tianchen)表示:“当前国家实施的以旧换新政策主要针对耐用消费品,这可能提前释放未来需求。”
Services consumption not only has a higher frequency of usage, but also presents substantial untapped potential that can be cultivated through focused policy initiatives, Xu said, adding that trade-ins could be extended to cover the service sector.
他指出,服务消费不仅使用频次更高,且存在大量待开发潜力,通过针对性政策可有效激发,他还建议将服务领域纳入以旧换新政策覆盖范围。
In mid-April, the Ministry of Commerce, along with eight other government departments, jointly issued an action plan for improving services consumption this year, covering established areas like catering, accommodation, healthcare and tourism, as well as new consumption formats such as sightseeing trains, skydiving and micro-dramas.
今年4月中旬,商务部等9部门联合出台促进服务消费年度行动方案,涵盖餐饮住宿、医疗旅游等传统领域,以及观光列车、跳伞体验、微短剧等新兴业态。
According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the five-day May Day holiday period saw 314 million domestic tourist trips across China, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year. Domestic tourists also spent a total of 180.269 billion yuan ($25 billion) during the holiday, up 8 percent year-on-year.
据文化和旅游部统计,五一假期5天全国国内旅游出游人次达3.14亿,同比增长6.4%;国内游客出游总花费1802.69亿元(约合250亿美元),同比上升8%。
Compared to the relatively mature goods consumption market, China's services consumption market still has some key areas that need to be strengthened, said Lian Ping, head of the Guangkai Chief Industry Research Institute.
广开首席产业研究院院长连平表示,相较于较为成熟的商品消费市场,中国服务消费市场仍存在若干亟待补强的关键领域。
"On the demand side, it will be important to take multiple measures to increase residents' disposable incomes, improve the social protection system and enhance consumers' services consumption abilities," Lian said.
连平表示:“在需求端,需要多措并举提升居民可支配收入,完善社会保障体系,增强消费者服务消费能力。”
Finance Minister Lan Fo'an said in a published article in Qiushi Journal on May 1 that China is emphasizing the integration of improving people's livelihoods and promoting consumption.
财政部部长蓝佛安(Lan Fo'an)5月1日在《求是》杂志撰文指出,中国正着力推动民生改善与消费促进有机结合。
Key measures include appropriately increasing pension levels, raising the standards of basic medical insurance for rural and urban nonworking residents, issuing child care subsidies, and expanding the scale of student financial aid, all aimed at strengthening consumers' spending power and willingness to consume, Lan added.
蓝佛安称重点举措包括适度提高养老金水平、上调城乡居民基本医保标准、发放育儿补贴、扩大学生资助规模等,旨在增强居民消费能力与消费意愿。
Meanwhile, Lian from the Guangkai Chief Industry Research Institute noted that expediting the urbanization process and boosting the consumption capabilities of migrant populations will be crucial in unleashing the potential of services consumption.
连平同时强调,加快城镇化进程、提升流动人口消费能力,将成为释放服务消费潜力的关键所在。
external uncertainties
外部不确定性
services consumption
服务消费
unleash
/ʌnˈliːʃ/
v.使爆发; 发泄; 突然释放
trade-ins
/treɪd ɪnz/
n. 折旧贴换交易;以旧换新
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