北京市内将建免税店体系

Yabao Road, often called "Russia Town," is a retail hub in downtown Beijing's Chaoyang District, which attracts many foreign traders especially Russians.

The government of Chaoyang District has revealed that it plans to turn the neighborhood into a pilot area for outlets offering tax refunds and duty-free shopping.

This is part of a strategic cooperation agreement between the government and a domestic company China Duty Free Group, under which foreign tourists will be able to receive tax refunds and shop for duty-free products in the city center, instead of only at the airport.

Agnesa Dhalla, a Ukrainian on her third trip to China, says she is looking forward to the duty-free zone.

"I always buy some tea and also some other staff. I think if it will be cheaper. I will buy more, but still, you know, some shops can currently give you some discounts but if they will be duty free, I hope the prices will be lower."

The plan comes following the announcement that the capital will allow visitors from 45 countries to pay a three-day visit to the city without a visa as the government seeks to boost commercial outlets.

In fact, statistics show that China's trade surplus declined last year for a third straight year, with the export volume growing at a percentage of 5 points lower than the imports during the same period.

Li Zhengyi is a shop owner on Yabao Road.

"Business here on the street has been sluggish since last year, and we have nothing to do. It's no longer like in the past few years when we used to be busy everyday. Foreign travelers have been less willing to spend as the economy slows down."

Dai Bing is the Director of the China Tourism Academy.

He says the establishment of a duty-free zone along with visa exemption policy is part of the government's effort to attract foreign visitors.

"In recent years, especially since 2009, China's outbound tourism has seen rapid growth, while the increase of inbound tourism has slowed down. It has led to the expanding trade deficit in the industry. Visa exemptions, duty free shopping and tax refunds are effective measures to change the situation."
 
On the other hand, some vendors remain cautious over the policy, saying it could have more impact on retail shops rather than wholesalers.

However, Dai points out that the growth of retail trading will certainly give the wholesale market a boom in return.

The establishment of the duty-free shopping area is under discussion for the moment.

It remains uncertain whether it will be opened to local residents who plan to leave the country.

For CRI, I'm Zhou Jingnan.