Net widened for duty-free shopping to attract buyers

In its bid to further attract consumption from overseas buyers, the State Council recently announced a comprehensive upgrade of the country's duty-free shop policies.

According to the State Council decision, China will optimize tax refund and exemption management for domestic products and actively support the sale of locally made goods in port and downtown duty-free stores. Enterprises that purchase domestic products for sale in these outlets will be treated as exporters, enjoying corresponding exemptions or refunds on value-added and consumption taxes.

The decision also calls for a further expansion of the product categories available in port outbound, port inbound and city duty-free shops. Newly added items will include smartphones, small drones, sports goods, health foods, over-the-counter medicines and pet food — providing travelers with a broader range of shopping options.

It requires authorities to optimize their methods of supervision so that popular items sold overseas can appear on the shelves of duty-free shops in China quickly. Meanwhile, enterprises are encouraged to join hands in negotiating with international brands so that more new and sought-after items can be introduced to Chinese shops.

Approval authority for establishing port outbound duty-free shops will be delegated to provincial-level finance departments, which will review and approve applications jointly with the departments of commerce, culture and tourism, customs and taxation.

The State Council emphasized improving service facilitation and regulatory oversight. Duty-free shops will be encouraged to offer online preorder services, allowing travelers to reserve products at city shops and pick them up at port stores upon entry.

National quake emergency response plan gets revision

The General Office of the State Council has issued a revised version of the national earthquake emergency plan to modernize the country's disaster response system.

An official of the Ministry of Emergency Management said the latest plan consists of nine sections, including general provisions, emergency response, recovery, reconstruction and safeguard measures, and aims to place the protection of people's lives first, while enhancing the speed, coordination and effectiveness of emergency response.

One of the key changes involves lowering the thresholds for classifying earthquake disaster severity based on casualties. "Especially major" disasters are now defined as those with more than 200 deaths, "major" disasters as those with 30 to 200, and "relatively large" disasters as those with 10 to 30.

The plan also refines the emergency response mechanism by integrating key operational steps — such as activation, coordination, response measures, level adjustment and termination — into a closed-loop workflow to improve efficiency and operability. Response levels will follow a four-tier structure, corresponding to the scale and impact of the disaster.

The plan also highlights the need to build robust backup communication systems for extreme scenarios to guarantee emergency connectivity and ensure the timely disbursement of relief funds.

Campaign launched to improve consumption environment

The State Administration for Market Regulation, together with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security and 10 other government departments, has launched a monthlong campaign to optimize the consumption environment and bolster confidence in domestic spending.

According to the market regulator, improving the consumption environment is vital for enhancing public confidence, stimulating economic vitality and ensuring people's high-quality lives.

The initiative is part of a three-year action plan aimed at creating a consumption environment that is honest, fair, convenient and safe, and this year's campaign will feature over 20 thematic activities, including intellectual property protection initiatives, vocational skills training programs and digital tags for food.

The main event will take place in Wuhan, Hubei province, on Nov 26. Representatives from government agencies, industry associations, chambers of commerce and consumer organizations will gather to discuss policy developments and release results and initiatives.