【双语财讯】扩内需成为2024年经济工作重点 Boosting consumption high on 2024 agenda

12月11日至12日举行的中央经济工作会议部署了明年的九项重点任务，其中就包括着力扩大国内需求。会议指出，要激发有潜能的消费，培育壮大新型消费，增加城乡居民收入。

China is likely to take more steps to revive consumer demand and boost spending appetites next year as it seeks to inject strong impetus into a consumption-led recovery amid pressure from subdued demand and property sector weakness, economists said on Wednesday.

经济学家12月13日表示，中国明年可能会采取更多措施来重振消费需求，刺激消费欲望，在需求不足、房地产行业疲软的压力下为消费拉动的经济复苏注入强大动能。

They said boosting consumption will be a key step to expand domestic demand and revive recovery momentum next year, and the focus should be placed on key tasks such as boosting spending on big-ticket items and enhancing services consumption.

专家表示，促进消费将会是明年扩大内需和重振经济复苏势头的关键一步，应该聚焦刺激大宗商品消费和提升服务消费等重点任务。

Their comments came as the tone-setting annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing from Monday to Tuesday said China still has to overcome some difficulties and challenges — such as lack of effective demand — to further revive the economy.

此前，为来年经济工作定下总基调的一年一度的中央经济工作会议于12月11日至12日在北京召开。会议指出，经济进一步回升向好仍需克服一些困难和挑战，比如有效需求不足。

The meeting, which maps out priorities for next year's economic work, said China will focus on spurring domestic demand, and efforts should be made to stimulate potential consumption, expand effective investment, and form a virtuous cycle between consumption and investment.

会议指出，中国将着力扩大国内需求，激发有潜能的消费，扩大有效益的投资，形成消费和投资相互促进的良性循环。

Wang Wei, former head of the Institute of Market Economy at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the meeting signals more measures to boost domestic demand and expand consumption next year, including spurring new types of consumption, encouraging the purchase of big-ticket items and continuously deepening reforms of the income distribution system.

国务院发展研究中心市场经济研究所原所长王微指出，中央经济工作会议提出明年将采取更多措施来扩大国内需求、推动消费增长，包括培育壮大新型消费，鼓励购买大宗消费品，持续深化收入分配制度改革。

According to the high-profile meeting, the development of digital consumption, green consumption and health consumption should be further promoted, and new growth areas such as consumption of smart home appliances, entertainment and tourism, sports activities and trendy domestic brands should be fostered.

中央经济工作会议指出，将大力发展数字消费、绿色消费、健康消费，积极培育智能家居、文娱旅游、体育赛事、国货“潮品”等新的消费增长点。

Consumption of products including new energy vehicles and electronics should be stimulated, while efforts should be made to increase incomes of urban and rural households and expand the scale of the middle-income group, the meeting said.

会议指出，要提振新能源汽车、电子产品等大宗消费；要增加城乡居民收入，扩大中等收入群体规模。

This year, the country has rolled out a raft of measures to boost consumption, including spurring auto and electronics consumption, expanding services consumption and supporting demand for first-home purchases as well as demand for upgraded housing.

今年，我国已经推出了一系列促消费政策，包括促进汽车和电子产品消费、扩大服务消费、支持购买首套房和住房改善需求。

Wang said such measures have significantly boosted household incomes, improved the consumption environment and boosted consumer sentiment, which helps promote a steady recovery in consumption and provides strong support for stabilizing growth.

王微指出，这些措施显著增加了居民家庭收入，改善了消费环境，提振了消费信心，有助于推动消费稳步复苏，为稳增长提供强有力的支持。

Figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed retail sales, a key barometer of consumer spending, grew 7.6 percent year-on-year in October, up from the 5.5 percent growth in September.

国家统计局发布的数据显示，10月份，社会消费品零售总额（衡量居民消费支出的重要指标）同比增长7.6%，相比9月的5.5%增幅扩大。

Meanwhile, Wang said China still faces some difficulties and challenges in terms of restoring and expanding consumption.

与此同时，王微指出，当前我国消费持续恢复和扩大仍面临一些困难和挑战。

"The post-COVID recovery in consumption is relatively slow, services consumption has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, consumer sentiment remains weak and there is still room for improvement in boosting spending power," she added.

她指出：“疫后消费复苏步伐相对偏慢，服务消费未恢复至疫情前水平，消费信心和消费意愿偏弱，消费能力提升仍待加速。”

Looking ahead, Zhou Maohua, an analyst at China Everbright Bank, said he expects to see a gradual pickup in domestic demand and consumption, saying more efforts should be made to create more jobs, improve people's incomes, encourage purchases of big-ticket items and optimize the consumption environment.

展望未来，光大银行分析师周茂华表示，他预期国内需求和消费将会逐步恢复，并指出应大力创造就业机会、提升居民收入、鼓励购买大宗消费品，以及优化消费环境。

Despite the challenges and difficulties ahead, Han Wenxiu, an official with the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, said China possesses many advantages and enjoys several key opportunities, with opportunities outweighing challenges.

尽管面临挑战和困难，但中央财办分管日常工作的副主任韩文秀表示，我国经济发展拥有诸多有利条件和重要机遇，总的来看，机遇大于挑战。

Han told an annual conference on the Chinese economy on Wednesday that China has plenty of room to step up fiscal and monetary policy support, as price levels are low and the central government's debt level is not high.

韩文秀12月13日在中国经济年会上表示，我国物价水平较低，中央政府债务水平不高，财政政策、货币政策还有较大的空间。

英文来源：中国日报

翻译&编辑：丹妮