China maps out plan to raise incomes and boost consumption

CHINA will take steps to revive consumption by boosting people’s incomes, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday (Mar 16), citing a statement from the State Council.

Other measures include stabilising the stock and real estate markets, and offering incentives to raise the country’s birth rate, as the government tries to ease the deflationary pressures afflicting the economy.

Beijing will promote “reasonable growth” in wages and establish a sound mechanism for adjusting the minimum wage, Xinhua reported. It will also look at setting up a childcare subsidy system, as well as strengthening how investment can support consumption. 

Invigorating consumption has been a challenge for the government since the end of the pandemic. Retail sales have been anaemic while consumer prices fell into deflation in February for the first time in over a year.

At annual parliamentary meetings this month, the country’s leadership made boosting consumption their top priority for the first time since President Xi Jinping came to power over a decade ago.

Chinese stocks rallied the most in two months on Friday after the State Council, China’s Cabinet, announced that officials from the finance ministry, the central bank and other government departments plan to hold a press conference on Monday on measures to boost consumption.