Cici Cao

China's trade-in scheme for consumer electronics has failed to get the tills ringing with buyers purchasing fewer than two subsidized items per person, despite being eligible to buy up to three.

This suggests that the government's push to stimulate domestic spending may have fallen short.

Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed around 20 million consumers applied for subsidies on 25.4 million digital devices since the scheme's launch on January 20.