The World Consumer Rights Day that we observe together today is more than a day of action to address growing consumer grievances. It is also high time for Chinese policymakers to recognize the increasing importance of domestic consumption to the country's sustainable economic growth.

If, as expected, Chinese consumers are to play a leading role in fueling economic growth, more government efforts to promote and protect the basic rights of all consumers are badly needed.

With the rapid expansion of domestic consumer markets, Chinese consumers contributed 4.6 percentage points to the country's 8.7-percent GDP growth last year - despite the worst global recession in decades.