China's rural e-commerce registers rapid growth in H1
The e-commerce sector grew rapidly in China's rural areas in the first half of 2019, official data showed. Online retail sales in rural areas totaled 777.1 billion yuan ($113.6 billion) in H1, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce.
The reading, surging 21pc year-on-year, was 3.2 percentage points higher than the nationwide growth rate. Meanwhile, online retail sales of agricultural products also saw a notable increase in the period. The sales hit 187.4b yuan, up 25.3pc from one year earlier.
Snacks were the most popular agricultural products, accounting for 25.8 percent of the total sales, followed by tea products and nourishing foods, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Chaoyang district in Beijing has adopted flexible policies and will build online platforms to attract high-quality talent to increase new growth points in business.
The move comes amid intense competition among cities for skilled professionals as China pursues high-quality development through newage technologies and sustainable development.
More than 120 multinational companies have set up their regional or country headquarters in Chaoyang district, accounting for 70 percent of the capital's total. The district has organized Overseas Talent Entrepreneurship Conference for seven consecutive years.
The 2019 OTEC was held in both Beijing and Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, between May and July. The event included an investment conference, an innovation contest, an international entrepreneurship exhibition and a job fair to fill up positions in the digital economy.
Wang Hao, Party chief of Chaoyang district, said that in comparison with the previous year, the 2019 OTEC partnered with Kunming to set up sub-conference areas and activities to deepen regional cooperation and strengthen business ties, and to better participate in the tangible development of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Kunming, he said, is located closer to the massive market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The 2019 OTEC has organized a number of activities to attract bright overseas talent via international entrepreneur dialogue, high-level job fair, financing meetings and co-founder dating. It also conducted gatherings of corporate executives and economists to discuss ways of further developing Chaoyang district into a global innovation and service center of science and technology. The OTEC has to date attracted over 23,000 entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries and regions such as Australia, Singapore, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States, and more than 4,000 projects were involved.