The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments: orderly development of new business formats such as live e-commerce and instant retail, promoting the application of artificial intelligence across the entire industry and process of consumer goods

On November 26, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People's Bank of China, and the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Implementation Plan for Enhancing the Adaptability of Supply and Demand for Consumer Goods and Further Promoting Consumption."

Key points summarized by Wall Street Insights are as follows:

By 2027, the supply structure of consumer goods will be significantly optimized, forming three trillion-level consumption fields and ten hundred-billion-level consumption hotspots

The plan mentions that by 2027, the supply structure of consumer goods will be significantly optimized, forming three trillion-level consumption fields and ten hundred-billion-level consumption hotspots, creating a batch of high-quality consumer goods with rich cultural connotations and global recognition. By 2030, a high-quality development pattern characterized by positive interaction and mutual promotion between supply and consumption will be basically formed, with the contribution rate of consumption to economic growth steadily increasing.

Orderly development of new business formats such as live-streaming e-commerce, instant retail, curated retail, and circular e-commerce

The plan proposes the orderly development of platform consumption. Orderly development of new business formats such as live-streaming e-commerce, instant retail, curated retail, and circular e-commerce. Encourage platform enterprises to legally and compliantly utilize artificial intelligence technology to explore user needs and match and push products and services. Support platform enterprises in applying digital intelligence technologies such as virtual reality, metaverse, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to create multi-scenario, immersive consumption experiences. Guide platform enterprises to carry out brand quality promotion activities. Strengthen the main responsibility of platform enterprises, enhance the qualification review of operators and the verification of product information, and improve the rapid processing mechanism for consumer disputes.

Accelerate the layout of new fields and new tracks, strengthen the integration and empowerment of artificial intelligence

The plan proposes to focus on key industries such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, smart homes, consumer electronics, modern textiles, food, and green building materials, carrying out special activities for typical innovative applications. Create a hundred iconic products, a hundred innovative enterprises, and a batch of new product first-use scenario models that can be experienced and promoted.

Promote the application of artificial intelligence across the entire industry and field of consumer goods, and promote new tools such as generative artificial intelligence and 3D digital design. Organize in-depth activities for the consumer goods industry empowered by artificial intelligence, promoting deep connections between solution providers and manufacturing enterprises. Encourage the development of household service robots, smart home appliances, and artificial intelligence terminals such as smartphones, computers, toys, glasses, and brain-machine interfaces, providing entertainment, health, and companionship services through smart products.

Make good use of large-scale equipment updates and the old-for-new policy for consumer goods

The plan proposes to make good use of large-scale equipment updates and the old-for-new policy for consumer goods. Coordinate relevant funding channels to support the quality upgrade of the consumer goods industry, fully leveraging the role of policy funds as a lever. Enrich consumer finance products and services, enhancing the adaptability and convenience of consumer finance services. Utilize service consumption and elderly re-loans to guide financial institutions to increase support for quality elderly products.

Full text is as follows:

Implementation Plan for Enhancing the Adaptability of Supply and Demand for Consumer Goods and Further Promoting Consumption

In order to implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on vigorously boosting consumption, enhancing the adaptability between supply and demand, and further unleashing consumption potential, this implementation plan is formulated with the approval of the State Council.

I. Overall Requirements

Deeply implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the successive plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, coordinate the expansion of domestic demand and deepen supply-side structural reforms, lead industrial upgrades through consumption upgrades, and better meet diverse demands with high-quality supply, achieving a higher level of dynamic balance between supply and demand. By 2027, the supply structure of consumer goods will be significantly optimized, forming three trillion-level consumption fields and ten hundred-billion-level consumption hotspots, creating a batch of high-quality consumer goods rich in cultural connotation and renowned globally. By 2030, a high-quality development pattern characterized by positive interaction and mutual promotion between supply and consumption will be basically formed, and the contribution rate of consumption to economic growth will steadily increase.

II. Accelerate the Innovation and Application of New Technologies and New Models

(1) Accelerate the layout of new fields and new tracks. Focus on key industries such as intelligent connected new energy vehicles, smart home, consumer electronics, modern textiles, food, and green building materials, carry out special activities for typical innovation applications, create a hundred iconic products, a hundred innovative enterprises, and a batch of new product first-use scenario models that can be experienced and promoted. Build a number of pilot verification platforms around the consumer goods industrial fields such as high-performance fibers, green dyeing, papermaking, home appliances, batteries, daily chemicals, biomedicine, and biomanufacturing.

(2) Promote new manufacturing models that respond efficiently. Actively promote flexible and customized models, implement the "thousand factories, thousand faces" transformation plan, and establish a full-chain digital system of "user demand - intelligent design - flexible production." Cultivate a batch of flexible manufacturing factories in industries such as home appliances, furniture, footwear, luggage, textiles, and cosmetics. Support enterprises and industry associations to establish consumer goods data middle platforms, connect consumer big data with production systems in real-time, promote user participation in design models, and drive production to efficiently respond to personalized consumer demands.

(3) Strengthen the integration and empowerment of artificial intelligence. Promote the application of artificial intelligence across the entire industry and all fields of consumer goods, and promote new tools such as generative artificial intelligence and 3D digital design. Organize in-depth activities for artificial intelligence empowering the consumer goods industry, promoting deep connections between solution providers and manufacturing enterprises. Encourage the development of household service robots, smart home appliances, and artificial intelligence terminals such as smartphones, computers, toys, glasses, and brain-machine interfaces, providing entertainment, health, and companionship services through intelligent products. Support enterprises and industry associations in building smart home experience centers, elderly-friendly product experience centers, and custom clothing experience centers, expanding multi-scenario experiences and value-added services. Support localities in developing digital art products of historical classic industries, building digital museums and cloud museums.

III. Expand the Supply of Specialty and New Products

(4) Promote the expansion and iteration of green products. Adapt to the trend of green and low-carbon consumption, improve the energy efficiency and water efficiency limit value standards of consumer goods, and revise the mandatory national standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metal content limits in products such as inks. Promote the certification of green building materials products. Encourage green low-carbon consumption in fields such as new energy vehicles, high-efficiency home appliances, and green building materials home decoration. Formulate national standards for the interconnection of smart homes and support backbone enterprises in jointly developing whole-house intelligent and green solutions

(5) Promote the quality upgrade of rural consumer goods. Encourage enterprises to develop efficient and energy-saving range hoods, gas stoves, water heaters, bathroom products, etc., suitable for rural environments. Support enterprises to conduct exhibitions of high-quality products in rural areas and activities for new energy vehicles, green building materials, and green smart home appliances. Provide product maintenance, value assessment, door-to-door recycling, and replacement services. Upgrade and improve the commercial circulation infrastructure in rural areas, and continuously enhance the e-commerce and express logistics distribution systems in counties, towns, and villages.

(6) Vigorously develop leisure and sports products. In response to new demands from the event economy, outdoor economy, and ice and snow economy, strengthen the supply of high-quality multifunctional smart sports and fitness equipment, ice and snow, and outdoor sports gear, and release a directory for promoting quality sports products. Focus on hot sports such as mountain, water, ice and snow, automotive, and aviation, and support qualified localities in building aviation flight camps and characteristic sports equipment industrial parks. Support localities in building smart sports venues and smart sports parks tailored to local conditions.

(7) Promote the innovative development of health products. Support enterprises in strengthening the research and development of special dietary foods such as health foods and special medical purpose formula foods. Cultivate and recognize a batch of advantageous traditional food production areas and local specialty food industries. Encourage the consumption of green, organic, high-quality, and geographical indication agricultural products. Focus on high-end medical devices, wearable devices, and efficient in vitro diagnostic equipment to expand home health management application scenarios. Promote the integration of tourism and health care, carry out traditional Chinese medicine health care, medicinal diet therapy, and other services, and create customized products.

(8) Expand the influence of historical classic products. Support the development of historical classic industries such as arts and crafts, the Four Treasures of the Study, silk, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine, and release consumption names and maps for historical classic industries. Support the holding of creative design competitions for historical classic products by industry, and promote excellent cases. Promote the innovative development of time-honored brands. Support localities in building a batch of traditional craft inheritance and innovation bases, master studios, and intangible cultural heritage workshops. Organize the production of promotional documentaries for historical classic industries. Encourage domestic high-quality new products, consumption names, intangible cultural heritage products, and trendy domestic goods to enter duty-free shops at ports and city duty-free shops, optimize the departure tax refund process, and promote "buy and refund immediately" measures.

(9) Expand the supply of diverse interest consumption. Actively develop interest consumption products related to pets, anime, trendy clothing, and toys. Under strict risk control and safety assurance, orderly expand low-altitude tourism, aviation sports, private flying, and consumer-grade drones. Expand automotive aftermarket consumption such as car modification, RV camping, and automotive events, and promote high-quality development of car rental. Support enterprises in incubating local intellectual property (IP), innovating and designing cultural and creative products, anime peripheral goods, etc., developing brand licensing, and launching a series of IP licensed products. Encourage traditional supermarkets, shopping centers, and commercial streets to design and transform to introduce "valley shops" or collective trendy toy stores.

IV. Precisely match the needs of different groups

(10) Enrich the supply of infant and child products. Promote the refined, quality, and intelligent development of infant and child products, and vigorously promote feeding and care products, travel gear, outdoor sports products, and educational toys. Accelerate the research and application of environmentally friendly materials, functional composite materials, and safety protective materials. Carry out quality parenting and product quality safety enhancement actions, and promote the transformation of domestic advanced standards into international standards Select and promote quality products for infants and children, encourage e-commerce platforms to establish exclusive entrances, and ensure high-quality consumption needs. Implement a three-year action plan for the safety of children's and students' products, strengthening quality and safety supervision of key products.

(11) Strengthen the supply of quality student products. Develop and design writing tools that protect vision, shoulders, necks, and spines, and promote personalized, modular learning kits. Advance the upgrade of audiovisual-friendly technology for electronic information products, support the integration of "traditional stationery + smart hardware and software," and accelerate the development of electronic ink screen notebooks, artificial intelligence error correction books, electronic whiteboards, and other products. Promote the use of 3D printing equipment in classrooms. Launch a series of IP co-branded stationery products.

(12) Expand the supply of fashionable "trendy products." Accelerate the research and development of new textile fiber materials, environmentally friendly shoe and bag materials, and functional cosmetic raw materials, formulas, and packaging in the fields of fashion, art accessories, and beauty. Cultivate a group of independent designers and brand studios with strong original capabilities, creating international light luxury and high-end brands in clothing, shoes, bags, gold and jewelry, and watches. Encourage innovation in service models such as personalized image customization and holiday outfit customization.

(13) Optimize the supply of age-friendly products. Strengthen the research and development design of age-friendly products, focusing on urgently needed products such as elderly care service robots, multifunctional nursing beds, and health monitoring devices. Launch elderly clothing and footwear products that combine comfort, functionality, and fashion, as well as food suitable for the elderly's chewing, swallowing, and nutritional absorption needs, and functional daily chemical products. Carry out actions to benefit the elderly with quality elderly products, promote home modifications for the elderly, release a directory for promoting age-friendly products and services, and encourage e-commerce platforms and supermarkets to establish sections or areas for silver-haired consumption.

V. Cultivate new consumption scenarios and new business formats

(14) Actively promote the debut of consumer products. Support the establishment of first stores, flagship stores, and new concept stores for consumer products, and hold debut and exhibition activities. Actively cultivate debut platform carriers, enhance the capability of core business districts, and build debut centers that integrate new product launches, display transactions, and communication promotion. Strengthen digital technology empowerment and construct an "online + offline" product debut matrix. Leverage the comprehensive effects of international exhibitions to promote "national trends going overseas" and "debuts going overseas."

(15) Develop platform consumption in an orderly manner. Develop new business formats such as live e-commerce, instant retail, curated retail, and circular e-commerce in an orderly manner. Encourage platform enterprises to legally and compliantly use artificial intelligence technology to explore user needs and match and push products and services. Support platform enterprises in applying digital technologies such as virtual reality, metaverse, artificial intelligence, and blockchain to create multi-scenario, immersive consumption experiences. Guide platform enterprises to carry out brand quality promotion activities. Strengthen the main responsibility of platform enterprises, enhance the qualification review of operators and the verification of product information, and improve the rapid processing mechanism for consumer disputes.

(16) Regulate the development of shared consumption. Regulate the development of shared bicycles, and promote models such as shared wheelchairs and shared strollers in public places such as supermarkets, hospitals, and amusement parks. Establish and improve the quality certification system for shared product services, and accelerate the improvement of service standards in segmented fields such as shared transportation and shared goods

VI. Create a Good Development Environment

(17) Strengthen Financial Support. Make good use of large-scale equipment updates and the old-for-new policy for consumer goods. Coordinate relevant funding channels to support the quality upgrade of the consumer goods industry and fully leverage the role of policy funds as a lever. Utilize centralized procurement to expand the purchasing of consumer goods such as work uniforms and work shoes by government agencies, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises. Enrich consumer finance products and services, enhancing the adaptability and convenience of consumer finance services. Use service consumption and elderly refinancing to guide financial institutions to increase support for high-quality elderly products.

(18) Host Special Activities. Systematically cultivate a group of renowned Chinese consumer brands, selecting and promoting over a thousand well-known enterprise brands and regional brands, and more than ten thousand high-quality consumer goods. Create the "Buy in China" brand. Compile guides for upgrading and innovating consumer goods and hold achievement release conferences. Rely on mainstream media, new media, and offline business circles to frequently promote consumer brands, promotional activities, and benefit policies. Cultivate a number of characteristic production areas for consumer goods and characteristic industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises.

(19) Maintain Market Order. Continuously rectify local protectionism and market segmentation issues, and strengthen regular regulatory enforcement against monopolies in the livelihood sector. Strengthen online market supervision, crack down on illegal advertisements, counterfeiting, and inferior products, and promote high-quality and reasonably priced goods. Ensure effective supervision of online sales and product recalls. Accelerate the updating and upgrading of safety, performance, and environmental standards for consumer goods, strengthen the formulation and revision of mandatory national standards for key populations and key areas such as the elderly, infants, and students, and improve the certification system. Enhance the consistency level of domestic standards in the consumer goods sector with international advanced standards and promote international mutual recognition of standards and certifications.

The industrial and information technology authorities should strengthen coordination, dynamically grasp the progress of work, and timely coordinate to solve problems. Relevant departments should strengthen collaborative efforts, provide policy support based on their functions, and ensure the implementation of work. All regions should implement the work in accordance with actual conditions and incorporate relevant tasks into their key work. Industry associations should guide enterprises to strengthen self-discipline and the construction of integrity systems, further promoting the release of consumption potential