BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese e-commerce platforms are offering discounts of up to 2,530 yuan ($351) on Apple's ( AAPL ) latest iPhone 16 models, an effort to spur sales as first-quarter shipments by the U.S. tech giant fell further in its second-largest market.

The step comes as Chinese online retailers increasingly vie for cost-conscious consumers in a slowing economy, with price cuts taking centrestage ahead of the annual "618" shopping festival on June 18, one of the country's largest.

JD.com ( JD ), is selling the iPhone 16 Pro with storage of 128GB at 5,469 yuan, down 2,530 yuan from Apple's ( AAPL ) official price of 7,999 yuan, Reuters checks showed on Wednesday.

The iPhone 16 with 256GB storage is listed at 5,469 yuan, or a drop of 1,530 yuan from its official price of 6,999 yuan, including government subsidies.

Alibaba's ( BABA ) Tmall marketplace is offering comparable discounts, selling the iPhone 16 Pro with 128GB at 5,499 yuan, or 2,500 yuan off Apple's ( AAPL ) official price, after applying coupons that include government subsidies.

Reuters was unable to ascertain if the discounts were being offered by Apple ( AAPL ) itself or the platforms.

Apple ( AAPL ) has previously cut prices on its latest models to boost sales during the "618" festival, said Will Wong, a senior smartphone analyst at IDC.

"Apple ( AAPL ) is repeating its sales promotion strategy for the shopping event last year," Wong added. "It's cutting prices on iPhone 16 Pro so that it can enjoy China's state subsidies on digital products."

Selective discounting has featured in the company's China pricing strategy, whether through its own promotions or independent cuts by online platforms and authorised resellers.

In January, Apple ( AAPL ) offered rare discounts of up to 500 yuan on its own website and in past years Chinese e-commerce platforms have also rolled out similar deals.

Apple ( AAPL ), JD.com ( JD ) and Alibaba ( BABA ) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. tech giant's smartphone shipments in China dropped 9% in the first quarter, while domestic competitors Xiaomi ( XIACF ) and Huawei Technologies posted gains of 40% and 10% respectively, market data from IDC shows.

Smartphones are among the key targets of China's broader consumption stimulus plan, with local governments in major cities such as Beijing, the capital, offering subsidies of up to 500 yuan for handsets cheaper than 6,000 yuan.

($1=7.2156 Chinese yuan renminbi)