China Boosts Consumption: National Development and Reform Commission Encourages Localities to Explore Spring and Autumn Breaks
The Chinese government has made consumption promotion a policy priority. Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that China's super-large market has not yet been fully utilized. The government aims to enhance consumption capacity, improve consumption quality, cultivate consumption scenarios, and optimize the consumption environment. Notably, it encourages localities to explore spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools to boost family travel and study tours.
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- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 15:42
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 16:01 (19 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 17, 2026 at 17:52 (1h 50m after Collected)
The Central News Agency reported from Shanghai on April 17 that the Chinese government has made consumption promotion a policy task. Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated today that China's super-large market has not yet been fully utilized, and the government will enable people to consume, dare to consume, and be willing to consume. It encourages localities to explore spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools to develop the consumption environment.
The State Council Information Office of China held a press conference on the morning of April 17 to explain the economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The press conference transcript of the State Council Information Office shows that Wang Changlin stated that the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly proposes to increase the consumption rate of the public. Currently, the advantages of China's super-large market have not been fully utilized. The government will promote consumption by enhancing consumption capacity, improving consumption quality, cultivating consumption scenarios, and optimizing the consumption environment.
Regarding enhancing consumption capacity, he said that employment promotion mechanisms will be improved, enterprises will be supported in stabilizing and expanding employment, individuals will be encouraged to start businesses and find jobs, new professions and positions will be actively cultivated, vocational training for workers will be strengthened, minimum wage standards will be steadily increased, and residents' property income will be increased through multiple channels to continuously enhance residents' consumption capacity.
He mentioned that attention must be paid to improving consumption quality, using policies such as "trade-in" and high-quality supply to increase public willingness to consume. The focus will be on national health, smart elderly care, cultural tourism, and other fields to increase the high quality, diversity, and convenience of living services.
He said that efforts are being made to cultivate consumption scenarios, creating diversified and personalized consumption demands. In terms of optimizing the consumption environment, from the perspective of "hard investment," the construction of consumption infrastructure will be accelerated, for example, by supporting the construction of elderly care, childcare, cultural tourism, and sports facilities through central budget investment, and issuing consumption infrastructure REITs.
From the perspective of "soft construction," localities are encouraged to optimize policies such as traffic restrictions, purchase restrictions, and market access based on actual conditions, and to accelerate the cleanup or improvement of unreasonable restrictive measures in the consumption sector, jointly creating an environment where people are willing to consume, dare to consume, and enjoy consuming.
Wang Changlin mentioned that the public is very concerned about the planning of spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools. More localities with conditions will be encouraged to actively explore this, aligning student holidays with parents' annual leave, increasing the supply of consumption services such as parent-child tours, study tours, and holiday childcare, and allowing parents more time to travel with their children.
China's economic growth rate reached 5% in the first quarter of this year. Wang Changlin believes this is a good start for the 15th Five-Year Plan. The next step will be to continue to do a good job in macroeconomic policies, formulate an implementation plan for the strategy of expanding domestic demand from 2026 to 2030, and promote the early start of eligible major projects, leveraging the government's role in driving investment and stimulating private vitality. (Editor: Chen Kaiyu) 1150417
The State Council Information Office of China held a press conference on the morning of April 17 to explain the economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The press conference transcript of the State Council Information Office shows that Wang Changlin stated that the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly proposes to increase the consumption rate of the public. Currently, the advantages of China's super-large market have not been fully utilized. The government will promote consumption by enhancing consumption capacity, improving consumption quality, cultivating consumption scenarios, and optimizing the consumption environment.
Regarding enhancing consumption capacity, he said that employment promotion mechanisms will be improved, enterprises will be supported in stabilizing and expanding employment, individuals will be encouraged to start businesses and find jobs, new professions and positions will be actively cultivated, vocational training for workers will be strengthened, minimum wage standards will be steadily increased, and residents' property income will be increased through multiple channels to continuously enhance residents' consumption capacity.
He mentioned that attention must be paid to improving consumption quality, using policies such as "trade-in" and high-quality supply to increase public willingness to consume. The focus will be on national health, smart elderly care, cultural tourism, and other fields to increase the high quality, diversity, and convenience of living services.
He said that efforts are being made to cultivate consumption scenarios, creating diversified and personalized consumption demands. In terms of optimizing the consumption environment, from the perspective of "hard investment," the construction of consumption infrastructure will be accelerated, for example, by supporting the construction of elderly care, childcare, cultural tourism, and sports facilities through central budget investment, and issuing consumption infrastructure REITs.
From the perspective of "soft construction," localities are encouraged to optimize policies such as traffic restrictions, purchase restrictions, and market access based on actual conditions, and to accelerate the cleanup or improvement of unreasonable restrictive measures in the consumption sector, jointly creating an environment where people are willing to consume, dare to consume, and enjoy consuming.
Wang Changlin mentioned that the public is very concerned about the planning of spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools. More localities with conditions will be encouraged to actively explore this, aligning student holidays with parents' annual leave, increasing the supply of consumption services such as parent-child tours, study tours, and holiday childcare, and allowing parents more time to travel with their children.
China's economic growth rate reached 5% in the first quarter of this year. Wang Changlin believes this is a good start for the 15th Five-Year Plan. The next step will be to continue to do a good job in macroeconomic policies, formulate an implementation plan for the strategy of expanding domestic demand from 2026 to 2030, and promote the early start of eligible major projects, leveraging the government's role in driving investment and stimulating private vitality. (Editor: Chen Kaiyu) 1150417
FAQ
What are the main goals of the Chinese government's consumption promotion policies?
The Chinese government aims to fully leverage the potential of its super-large market by enhancing consumption capacity, improving consumption quality, cultivating consumption scenarios, and optimizing the consumption environment, thereby enabling people to consume, dare to consume, and be willing to consume.
What is the purpose of introducing spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools?
The introduction of spring and autumn breaks aims to align student holidays with parents' annual leave, increase the supply of consumption services such as parent-child tours, study tours, and holiday childcare, and allow parents more time to travel with their children.