In 2025, China's total annual retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 50 trillion yuan for the first time, reaching 50.1 trillion yuan, with a growth rate of 3.7%. The contribution of consumption to economic growth reached 52%.
The Ministry of Commerce will initiate the construction of a national digital trade demonstration zone, formulate related standards for digital trade, and promote the integration and alignment of domestic and international standards.
The State Council Information Office held a press conference today to discuss the commerce work and operational situation for 2025.
In 2025, China's total annual retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 50 trillion yuan for the first time.
At the press conference, it was introduced that by adopting a dual-driven approach of 'policy + activities,' the 'Buy in China' brand has been created to continuously unleash consumption vitality. For the first time, the total annual retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 50 trillion yuan, reaching 50.1 trillion yuan, with a growth rate of 3.7%. The contribution of consumption to economic growth reached 52%, increasing by five percentage points.
Ministry of Commerce: In 2026, market access and open sectors will be expanded, with orderly liberalization in areas such as telecommunications, healthcare, and education.
Wang Ya, head of the Foreign Investment Management Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that in 2026, with a focus on the service industry, market access and open sectors will be expanded. Liberalization in areas such as telecommunications, healthcare, and education will proceed in an orderly manner, promoting the early implementation of pilot projects. Support will be provided to foreign-invested service enterprises to extend their value chains and achieve specialized, integrated, and digital development, thereby promoting the expansion and quality enhancement of the service sector.
Ministry of Commerce: Equal support will be provided to foreign enterprises participating in boosting consumption, government procurement, and bidding processes.
Wang Ya, head of the Foreign Investment Management Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that this year, with a focus on the service industry, market access and open sectors will be expanded. Liberalization in areas such as telecommunications, healthcare, and education will proceed in an orderly manner, promoting the early implementation of pilot projects. Support will be provided to foreign-invested service enterprises to extend their value chains and achieve specialized, integrated, and digital development. At the same time, policies supporting foreign investment will be further optimized. Measures such as tax credits for direct reinvestment of profits already earned by foreign investors in China, and the encouraged foreign investment industry catalog, will be implemented. Equal support will be provided to foreign enterprises participating in boosting consumption, government procurement, and bidding activities, helping foreign enterprises take root and develop in China over the long term.
The Ministry of Commerce announced that a national-level comprehensive overseas service platform will be launched soon.
Wang Ya, head of the Foreign Investment Management Department of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that a national-level comprehensive overseas service platform will soon be launched. This platform integrates resources from fields such as foreign affairs, legal, taxation, finance, trade, logistics, customs, and trade promotion. It addresses common needs related to policy consultation, business processing, country-specific information, dynamic updates, resource matching, and risk prevention for companies going global, forming a one-stop service platform through a single window.
Ministry of Commerce: Construction of a national digital trade demonstration zone will be initiated, and relevant standards for digital trade will be formulated.
Wang Zhihua, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that the next step will be to innovate and develop digital trade, initiate the construction of a national digital trade demonstration zone, formulate relevant standards for digital trade, promote the alignment and integration of domestic and international standards, advance the digital transformation of service outsourcing, foster and strengthen digital trade entities, and successfully host the Global Digital Trade Expo.
Ministry of Commerce: This year will focus on vigorously developing service trade and introducing policies to expand inbound consumption.
Wang Zhihua, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that this year will see significant development in service trade, improvement of the negative list management system for cross-border service trade, and orderly opening of service markets. A national demonstration zone for innovation and development in service trade will be established, with expanded exports of competitive production-oriented services, fostering the agglomeration and development of intellectual property, human resources, and other service trades. Professional service institutions such as design, consulting, finance, accounting, and law will be encouraged to enhance their international service capabilities; traditional advantageous services such as education, traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinese cuisine will also be promoted for export; and policies to expand inbound consumption will be introduced.
Ministry of Commerce: China is not only willing to be the world’s factory but also the world’s market.
Wang Zhihua, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, stated that this year, China will unwaveringly advance high-level opening-up and promote innovative and balanced trade development. China is not only willing to be the world’s factory but also the world’s market, providing broader opportunities for products and services from all countries through its super-large-scale market.
Ministry of Commerce: China is willing to manage differences and advance cooperation with the United States to maintain stable, healthy, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations.
Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, stated that in 2025, both China and the United States, guided by equality, respect, and reciprocity, conducted five rounds of economic and trade consultations, achieving a series of positive outcomes, which fully demonstrates that both sides can find solutions to problems through equal dialogue and consultation. After the summit between the leaders in Busan, both parties maintained communication at various levels through the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, jointly promoting the implementation of key consensuses reached during the leaders’ meeting and the Kuala Lumpur economic and trade consultations. Going forward, China is willing to work with the United States based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, to jointly uphold and implement the important consensuses of the two leaders, utilize the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism, manage differences, advance cooperation, and maintain stable, healthy, and sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade relations.
Ministry of Commerce: Last year, non-financial direct investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative increased by 18%.
Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, stated that over the past year, China’s two-way investment with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has shown new vitality. In 2025, China's non-financial direct investment in Belt and Road partner countries reached 283.36 billion yuan, an increase of 18%; direct investment from Belt and Road partner countries into China amounted to 116.81 billion yuan, an increase of 1.9%. Yan Dong pointed out that this year, efforts should continue to successfully organize the 'Invest in China' brand activities, attract more partner countries to invest in China, guide the rational and orderly cross-border layout of industrial chains, leverage the role of various platforms, and actively negotiate agreements on industrial and supply chain cooperation.
Ministry of Commerce: China will participate in the work of the World Trade Organization with a more proactive and open attitude.
Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, stated that 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of China's accession to the World Trade Organization. China will participate in WTO activities with a more proactive and open attitude, focusing on ensuring the success of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference and advancing WTO reform in the right direction, placing development at the center of the WTO agenda.
The Ministry of Commerce announced that efforts to cultivate and construct international consumer hub cities will be accelerated in 2026.
Yang Mu, Director of the Department of Market Operations and Consumption Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, stated that by 2026, efforts will be accelerated to cultivate and construct international consumption hub cities. The focus will be on advancing the development of an internationalized consumer environment and piloting new forms, models, and scenarios of consumption. A series of high-visibility and broadly impactful new consumption scenarios will be created to allow consumers from home and abroad to enjoy a better quality of life.
Editor/Melody