Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, welcomed its first downtown duty-free store on Dec 18. [Photo by Yang Jie/for chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening followed a recent circular issued by the Ministry of Commerce and four other departments to refine duty-free policies starting Nov 1. The measures include supporting the sale of domestic goods in duty-free shops and expanding product categories to enhance the appeal of duty-free shopping for inbound and outbound travelers.

Xiu Xinggao, chairman of the Fujian Tourism Development Group, said the group plans to integrate the duty-free store into tourism itineraries and introduce more international brands, and also help Chinese time-honored brands reach a global audience.