A citizen buys vegetables at a supermarket in Handan City, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 9, 2020.  (Photo: Xinhua)

The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said it is taking measures to guarantee market supply for coronavirus-hit regions to meet local consumption demand as the Chinese Spring Festival approaches.

MOFCOM said they had organized six provinces including East China's Anhui and Shandong provinces, in addition to South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to build a joint supply mechanism supporting Shaanxi Province, after a recent COVID-19 outbreak in Xi'an, capital city of Shaanxi.

The ministry has provided a total inventory of 3,080 tons of rice and noodles, 14,696 tons of cooking oil, 7,515 tons of dairy products, 708 tons of drinking water, and 56 tons of canned food to the province.

In response to the situation in Tianjin, the ministry has coordinated with Shandong Province, one of China's largest vegetable producing regions, to ensure vegetable supply to the city throughout the Spring Festival period. 

Central government officials have also sought to guide provinces including Shaanxi, Henan, and Tianjin to fully learn from recent experiences and take effective measures to address difficulties in opening retail stores and terminal distribution in light of actual conditions on the ground.

According to a preliminary review, the dynamic inventory of vegetables, grain and oil held across Tianjin's wholesale market and supermarkets is generally sufficient, Shu Jueting, MOFCOM spokesperson said on Thursday.

North China's Tianjin city has announced it will postpone its two sessions due to the latest wave of the epidemic, the country's first major encounter with the Omicron variant.

As of 2 pm on Wednesday, 137 residents in Tianjin had tested positive for COVID-19, including 76 local confirmed cases and 17 asymptomatic cases, while another 44 positive cases need further verification, local health authorities announced at a Wednesday press briefing.

To further stimulate consumer spending, MOFCOM said it had launched an online shopping gala on Monday, with the campaign set to run through to February 7.

The activity includes selecting more than 1,500 featured categories from countries belonging to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and invites diplomatic envoys to record promotional videos and participate in live broadcasts to introduce local specialty products.  

Global Times