Beijing is determined to improve public services, including dealing with parking difficulties in hutong, Cai Qi, the city's Party chief, said on Saturday during his first public activity since being appointed to the post.

Cai, together with Chen Jining, who was minister of environmental protection until his appointment as acting mayor of Beijing on May 27, went into a convenience store in Dongcheng district to ask customers for comments on prices and services.

He Ren, a local resident, told Cai that the vegetables for sale in the store were fresh and the prices were reasonable, adding that customers can find the source of vegetables by scanning a code on the package.