emirates7 - China’s e-commerce industry experienced consistent growth in the first quarter of the year, supported by the government’s pro-consumption initiatives, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

As reported by People's Daily Online, official figures reveal that online retail sales reached 3.6 trillion yuan (approximately US$499.6 billion) during the period. Sales of physical goods online rose by 5.7 percent.

Additionally, the ministry noted a 7.4 percent rise in the online sales of digital products during the same timeframe.