Chinese commercial development blueprint tightens shopping-mall building

China's first blueprint on domestic market development issued Wednesday tightened construction of shopping malls, encouraging community businesses and investment intrade of agricultural production goods.

The layout, issued by the Ministry of Commerce, said that community businesses, involving convenience stores and discount or mini-supermarkets, will be the priority in the coming five to eight years to satisfy the needs of common people.

The document, the first of its kind since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, said China encourages all investors to put in money into commercial facilities in rural areas and supports large enterprises to establish branches in small cities and towns.

But the growth of shopping malls, which was overheated in some cities, will be controlled according to the actual local need, according to the layout.

Chinese commercial agencies will also strive to cultivate new growth points, involving automobiles, electronic home appliances, construction and decoration materials, household services, education and sports.

Laws and regulations will be formulated or amended to implement the layout, said Xu Ming, an MOC deputy director, referring to the upcoming anti-monopoly law, amendment on the law of contract and newly issued regulation on foreign-funded commercial networks.

The industrial limitation will be erased step-by-step for fair competition and the development of private enterprises will be encouraged, as well as the cooperation between domestic and overseas companies, especially in the central and western region, the layout said.