Trade-in program sees home appliance sales soar

The ongoing trade-in scheme for home appliances has led to a surge in sales, which have topped 33.5 billion yuan ($4.78 billion) since August, the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.

Since the ministry increased its support for the scheme in August, around 5.11 million consumers have benefited from the central government providing more than 6.4 billion yuan in subsidies, the ministry said on Sept 30.

The ministry's data showed that green and smart home appliances have been favored by consumers, with top-rated energy-efficient products accounting for 92.53 percent of the sales during the period.

Regions such as Hubei province, Shanghai and Chongqing municipalities have expanded the categories of home appliances eligible for subsidies according to local conditions, incorporating green and intelligent products such as water purifiers, dishwashers and robot vacuum cleaners, the ministry said.

Sales in eight major categories of home appliances in online and offline markets have surged 44.9 percent and 47 percent year-on-year, respectively, the ministry said.

The ministry said it will continue to encourage various regions to speed up the implementation of subsidy policies and guide home appliance manufacturers as well as distributors to seize consumption boom periods such as the National Day holiday and "Double Eleven" shopping festival so as to make a greater impact on consumption growth under the trade-in scheme, it said.

Guideline calls for cleaning up coal sector

The National Development and Reform Commission and five central departments have jointly issued a guideline on strengthening the clean and efficient use of coal, aiming to establish a system for coal use that is compatible with the country's efforts to advance its green energy transition.

The guideline aims to optimize coal usage across the entire supply chain, focusing on reducing pollution, enhancing energy efficiency and supporting low-carbon development.

It outlines 15 key tasks and measures that cover four aspects of coal development, production, storage and transportation, as well as efficient usage and reducing emissions.

The measures include promoting green exploration technologies, optimizing coalfield layouts and encouraging the development of smart and safer coal mines.

The guideline also calls for improving the cleanliness of coal storage and transportation by expanding rail networks and reducing reliance on road transportation, along with increasing the efficiency of coal use in key industries and promoting the adoption of new coal-based materials.

Administration pushes for standards in data industry

The National Data Administration has drafted a guideline on promoting the high-quality development of the country's data sector for driving the formulation of standards in areas such as data technology, data circulation and utilization, and infrastructure related to data.

According to the guideline, which was issued on Sept 27 to solicit public opinion, the data industry, as an emerging industry that harnesses modern information technology for data resource development, includes areas such as data collection and aggregation, computing and storage, circulation and transactions, and security governance.

The guideline outlines goals for the industry, including achieving a compound annual growth rate of over 15 percent by 2029, a significant optimization of the industry's structure, and fostering a range of new products, services and business models in the field of digital intelligence.

Efforts will also be made to cultivate innovative small and medium-sized data enterprises while encouraging leading enterprises to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with easier access to resources such as data, algorithms and computing power.

To ensure compliant data circulation and transactions, the guideline emphasizes exploring diversified data transaction models and promoting the mutual recognition and interconnection of data trading institutions and platforms.