China retail sales expected to rise

China's retail sales in 2004 are expected to rise 13 percent over last year and are seen to climb more than 10 percent next year, the Ministry of Commerce said. After adjusting for inflation, sales would be up 9.8 percent, 0.6 percentage points faster than last year, Xinhua news agency quoted Huang Huai, assistant to the commerce minister, as saying.
China's combined retail sales this year have so far exceeded five trillion yuan (604 billion dollars), the report said.