Beijing eyes rural markets, local town centres to tackle national consumption woes

China is turning to its counties and townships for a fresh push to revive consumer spending, with Beijing rolling out measures to upgrade local shops, attract brands and expand services, as weak domestic demand continues to drag growth. The Ministry of Commerce and other departments issued an 18-point joint guideline on Tuesday, which included measures ranging from renovating county and township commercial centres and rural markets to encouraging domestic and international brands to open...