China has achieved positive results in promoting the market project in thousands of villages and townships in two years, establishing a total of 160,000 shops in rural areas by the end of last year.

These shops cover 63 percent of the country's counties, benefiting 140 million farmers.

The project was sponsored and approved by China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Finance. It encourages supermarket enterprises to develop the rural market and enlarge consumption, carrying out unified supply and distribution to reduce fake goods.

Officials from the Ministry of Commerce said that in the third year, the project will extend to all counties, building up 100,000 new outlets.

(CRIENGLISH.com, April 9, 2007)