Growth seen in online sectors during outbreak

China has seen a growth opportunity in the online consumption and information services sectors despite the coronavirus epidemic's impact, the country's top economic regulator said on Monday.

National online retail sales of physical goods maintained growth during the first two months, and its proportion of total retail sales of consumer goods was 5 percentage points higher than the same period last year, and the information services sector surged 3.8 percent according to Gao Gao, deputy secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, who spoke at a news conference.

Gao admitted the coronavirus outbreak has brought considerable impact to the economy, social life and employment, adding the country has also seen many digital sectors emerge as beneficiaries of the recent outbreak, such as online education.

In the next step, the NDRC will work with relevant departments and local regions to continue accelerating the transformation of government function, streamlining administration and delegating power to lower levels.

More efforts will also be needed to promote the development of Internet Plus models, support innovation and business startups and further vitalize the market, Gao added.