Beijing to boost night-time economy

BEIJING - Beijing will release measures to boost consumption in the night-time economy, the city mayor Chen Jining said Monday while delivering the annual government work report.

The Chinese capital will encourage malls, supermarkets and convenient stores to extend their opening hours, according to the report delivered at the opening meeting of the annual session of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

Meanwhile, the city will encourage global brands to release new products in Beijing and cultivate traditional Chinese and local brands.

Shopping malls and supermarkets in Beijing usually close before 10 pm. The city hopes to use the night-time economy to stimulate a new round of consumption.

Beijing's GDP grew about 6.6 percent in 2018. The city has set the GDP growth target at 6-6.5 percent for 2019.