China to ensure supplies of necessities during holiday season

BEIJING -- China will roll out a slew of measures to guarantee sufficient supplies of daily necessities during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, authorities said on Wednesday.

A total of 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes of pork from China's central reserves will be released into the market every week to meet the rising demand during the holiday, Zhu Xiaoliang, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference held by the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19.

Zhu urged major wholesale markets of farm produce, catering companies, hotels and shopping malls to extend their business hours during the holiday to facilitate offline consumption.

To meet consumers' demand for online shopping, the country will also guide e-commerce platforms and logistics companies to continue working during the Spring Festival to ensure the normal operation of logistics systems and delivery services, according to Zhu.

The Spring Festival, the most important festival in China and traditionally marked by mass migration and family reunions, falls on Feb. 12 this year. China is encouraging the public to stay put during the holiday to prevent the spread of COVID-19.