According to China's official figures, the service sector has been energizing China's economy and labor market in recent years. Big data, information technology and new logistics programs are giving the economy more momentum. Zheng Yibing has the report.

A new retail strategy is blending online and offline shopping. China's new supermarkets like Hema are beginning to discover the benefits.

SHOP MANAGER HEMA "Through big data, we can optimize what we have in stock."

For this, Hema says a single job may face downsizing for new technologies. But their operations will involve more openings in areas like catering, online deliveries, programming, and e-commerce development. Thus, this new model increases posts with relevant expertise, according to them.

CHEN DONGQING GENERAL MANAGER IN BEIJING, HEMA "In each store, there are about 250 direct jobs in the sales chain, providing more job opportunities than the traditional stores."

And Hema said this new model promotes more organization, resulting in higher profits.

ZHENG YIBING BEIJING "The supermarket is an example of the development of the Chinese service sector in recent years. It helps improve national economic development and increases job opportunities."

The service sector is becoming the key engine for the Chinese economic growth. Such contributions have been growing in recent years, and it accounted for almost 60 percent of the economic growth in 2017, spurring more growth in other areas as well.

LIU JINZHONG, OFFICIAL NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS OF CHINA "They are covering fields of information transmission, software, internet, business services and scientific research."

This further helps the service sector seek new growth. China's total online retail sales in 2017 increased by almost a third of what it was compared with the previous year. Now the sharing economy helps billions of people across the world in transportation, accommodation for example, but also in logistics, education and infrastructure. Last year in China, this resulted in the service sector contributing up to 70 percent job growth in urban areas.

LIU JINZHONG, OFFICIAL NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS OF CHINA "Since 2015, those services related with internet economy have had much more growth than the traditional service industries, benefitting the country's employment."

Officials say the service sector will keep good momentum throughout 2018, and better supervision and management will be in place for healthy development. Zheng Yibing, CGTN, Beijing.