China’s apparel sales increased by 19% in December from the same period last year

At a recent press conference, Yao Jian, the spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, released key economic data highlighting the country's strong performance in foreign investment and domestic consumption in 2010. The nation attracted a total of $105.74 billion in foreign capital during the year, marking a 17.4% increase compared to the previous year. This growth underscored the continued confidence of international investors in the Chinese market. The domestic retail sector also showed robust performance throughout the year. According to the Ministry of Commerce, sales at 3,000 key retailers nationwide rose by 18.1% year-on-year in 2010, with a significant acceleration compared to the previous year. In December alone, sales surged by 19% compared to the same month in 2009, reflecting a strong end-of-year shopping season. In terms of specific categories, food sales at 1,000 major retailers increased by 15.1%, while beverage sales climbed 14.4%. Sales of tobacco and alcohol also saw steady growth, rising by 14.8%. Although these growth rates declined slightly from November, they still reflected solid demand. Apparel and footwear sales performed particularly well, with increases of 19% and 19.8%, respectively, showing a marked improvement over the previous month. Luxury goods and electronics also experienced strong growth. Sales of gold, silver, and jewelry jumped by 39.1% year-on-year, maintaining an impressive double-digit growth rate for the eighth consecutive month. Home appliance sales grew by 19.2%, accelerating by 5.5 percentage points from November. Meanwhile, car sales recorded a remarkable 32% increase, reaching their highest level since 2010. Overall, 2010 proved to be a strong year for China's economy, with both foreign investment and domestic consumption driving sustained growth across multiple sectors.