Policies planned to boost catering sector

China is readying policies to encourage the use of catering services by ordinary people, which will help to boost consumption and economic growth in the world's second-largest economy, a trade official said on Wednesday.

"Ordinary catering services will be a key area this year and in the near future. We are studying supportive measures to boost consumption," Yao Jian, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, told a news conference in Beijing.

He added that the measures will include the improvement of the credit system, industrial regulations and standards, as well as regional catering networks.