China's consumption cities boost economy and global influence

With their combined retail sales of consumer goods exceeding 6.2 trillion yuan ($907.83 billion) in 2025 and revenue from departure tax refunds surging 86 percent year-on-year, China's five international consumption center cities have become key drivers of domestic spending, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said on Thursday.

"As major consumption hubs, the five international consumption center cities are playing a greater role in boosting consumption and expanding international influence. They have become important windows for China's opening-up and key platforms for meeting people's growing demand for a better life," Wang said during the 5th International Consumption Center City Forum in Shanghai. In the same venue, the 2026 "Shopping in China" International Consumption Season (Shanghai) & the 7th Shanghai Double Five Shopping Festival was also held.

Slated five years ago to become international consumption centers on par with global metropolises such as New York, Paris, and Tokyo, China's five international consumption center cities — Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Chongqing, and Guangzhou of Guangdong province — are part of the country's broader efforts to expand domestic consumption.

According to Wang, China's total retail sales of consumer goods rose 2.4 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, while service retail sales increased 5.5 percent year-on-year, both demonstrating the resilience and vitality of China's supersized market.

The event also marked the launch of the East China city's seventh Double Five Shopping Festival, which runs through the end of June and is expected to feature more than 100 themed activities, according to Lu Shan, vice-mayor of Shanghai.

"Among the 21 city-level flagship events, the most distinctive include the Ping-Pong Carnival in business districts, Global Taste in Shanghai, the Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival, and Shanghai by Night," Lu said.

"Shanghai, home to 10,336 coffee shops as of the end of 2025, has the largest number of cafes of any city in the world," he added.