Sources from the national duty-free trades working conference say that China will open four new duty-free shops within three years in Shanghai, Dalian, Qingdao and Xiamen in the coastal areas.

At present, China has only one city duty-free shop set up in Beijing.

It's reported that sale of duty-free commodities can hardly make big advances due to the restriction of business sites and limited varieties of commodities in duty-free shops set up international airports, open harbors, border trading ports, etc. as well as international travelers' short stay in the shops after customs clearance.

Presently, the relevant department is seeking strong and reputed enterprises or groups in the aforesaid cities to establish liability limited companies or shareholding companies to jointly set up and operate city duty-free shops. Of the four cities, construction of city duty-free shop in Shanghai, a major tourist city of China, will soon be completed and is scheduled to formally open for business this March.

(People’s Daily 01/02/2001)