Beijing plans more stores to lift residents’ quality of life

Beijing will build or renovate 1,400 commercial venues this year, including 500 designated for vegetable markets, to make it easier for residents to shop for daily supplies, the city's commerce authority said on Thursday.

Among the planned facilities, 190 will be located in central Dongcheng and Xicheng districts, with more than half of them vegetable markets, according to the Beijing Commission of Commerce.

The authority announced the plan at a news conference for the first session of the 15th Beijing People's Congress, which opened on Wednesday.

“We'll also give more financial support to commercial venues, especially those in downtown areas,” the commission said in a statement.

The authority set up 1,210 commercial facilities in 2017, including convenience stores, supermarkets, vegetable markets and hair salons. The venues have played an effective role in improving the residents' quality of life, the statement added.