On May 16, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on the operation of the national economy in April this year. Fu Linghui, spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics and Director General of the Department of Comprehensive Statistics of the National Economy, said the country's economy took a hit from the domestic resurgence of COVID-19 cases in April, but the impacts are short-lived and external, the fundamentals of the Chinese economy remain unchanged. The overall trends of economic transformation and upgrading and high-quality development remain unchanged. China's economy is expected to recover gradually as the country achieves major anti-epidemic outcomes and pro-growth policies take effects.
（Photo Source: CFP.CN）
Based on services data, the index of services production increased 0.3% year on year in the first four months of this year, 2.2 percentage points lower than that in the January-March period. During the first three months, the operating revenue of enterprises above the designated size in the service industry grew 9% from a year ago. In April, the services business activity index was 40% and the business activity expectations index was 53%. The business activity index of industries such as the telecommunications, radio, television and satellite transmission services and the Internet software and information technology services continued to increase.
The consumption data show that from January to April, the total retail sales of consumer goods were 13.8142 trillion yuan, down 0.2% year on year. The sales of basic daily goods increased rapidly, and the retail sales of beverages, foodstuffs and edible oil, and Chinese and Western medicines of enterprises above designated size grew 10.4%, 9.5% and 8.8% respectively. Online retail sales rose 3.3% year on year to 3.8692 trillion yuan, of which online retail sales of physical goods reached 3.2887 trillion yuan, up 5.2% from a year ago, accounting for 23.8% of the total retail sales of consumer goods.
According to the investment data, from January to April, China's fixed-asset investment (excluding investment by peasants) totaled 15.3544 trillion yuan, up 6.8% year on year. Investment in infrastructure, manufacturing, and high-tech industries grew 6.5%, 12.2% and 22% respectively. Private investment rose 5.3%. Investment in the social sector jumped 14.4%, of which health and education investment surged 24.9% and 12.5% respectively.
2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "CIFTIS") was held in China National Convention Center and Shougang Park from September 2 to September 7. This CIFTIS is themed "Towards Digital Future and Service Driven Development", during which exhibitions and displays, forums and conferences, promotional business talks and side events covering all 12 sectors of trade in services were held, and more than 12,000 enterprises from 153 countries and regions were attracted to participate in the exhibitions and conferences online or onsite.
At this CIFTIS, exhibitions and displays covering an area of 126,000 square meters, 5 summit forums and 200 forums and conferences, promotional business talks and side events were held, and 7,364 domestic and foreign enterprises were attracted to participate in the exhibitions online or onsite, where fruitful outcomes were achieved, and the overall number of results and transaction amount exceeded that of the previous session.
At this CIFTIS, an exhibition on China's development achievements in trade in services was specially set up in the comprehensive exhibition area on the first floor of the China National Convention Center to showcase China's achievements and contributions made in trade in services during the 13th Five-Year Plan period in all aspects, outline a new vision for China's development during the 14th Five-year Plan period, and look forward to the new development goals for 2035. The thematic exhibition held at the Shougang Park venue had eight themes, including Telecommunications, Computer and Information Services, Financial Services, Culture and Tourism Services, Education Services, Sports Services, Supply Chain and Business Services, Engineering Consulting and Construction Services and Health Services, and it fully displayed the new technologies, modes and developments of the fields driven by the development towards digitalization, networking and intelligence.
At the China E-commerce Convention held during this CIFTIS, Ren Hongbin, then Vice Minister of Commerce, said e-commerce made outstanding achievements in promoting consumption, integration, revitalization and opening-up during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the Ministry of Commerce will focus on the following eight priorities and make great effort to boost innovation-driven development, lead consumption upgrading, promote the integration of e-commerce and production, facilitate rural revitalization, encourage opening-up and win-win results, strengthen international cooperation, push for efficiency reform, and coordinate development and security. The ministry will continue to give full play to the role of e-commerce in building a modern economic system.
