Gov't Push to Enliven Beijing's Streetside Economy Shot Down

原创 Nicole Sun theBeijinger

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Well, that was shortlived. Following Premier Li Keqiang's endorsement of China's 'vendor economy' at the end of last month's Two Sessions as a means to aid the country's post-coronavirus fiscal recovery, it appears not everyone is so gung-ho to see streetside vendors return.

Since the news went viral late last week, prompting netizens to voice both their excitement and condemnation of the plan, an editorial published by Beijing Daily on Saturday quickly shot down the idea, claiming that the capital is "unsuitable" for such vendors and reiterating that they are very much still illegal.

Images online showed China's fu'erdai selling items off of their G-Wagens in an apparent show of support for street sellers

So illegal, in fact, that the "Urban management law enforcement departments at all levels in this municipality shall strengthen law enforcement inspections and deal with such illegal acts accordingly," on account of the belief that "street vendors will disturb the order of the city and tarnish its appearance."

They then request that the general public help "supervise and actively complain to jointly create a good social-environmental order."

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Additionally, the so-called 'unofficial street vendor map' of Beijing, which listed 109 areas designated for street food vendors to set up shop, is said to actually be a list of places where street vendors were previously active but have since largely been removed or cleaned up.

Beijing's thinking, as relayed via the Beijing Daily article, is that different cities are at different stages of development and have a specific set of management requirements and conditions. As such, whether or not the vendor economy is suitable for a city depends on its current standing. In Beijing's case, it "should not and cannot develop economies that do not fit in the strategic positioning of the capital city" since "roaming vendors and roadside stalls will put visible pressure on urban management, the environment, hygiene, and traffic." Ergo, since Beijing is the capital, it bears the responsibility of representing the country as a whole.

If you're anything like us, the reneging of Beijing's opportunity to once again become a haven for street food will be a disappointment, and we'll have to continue to look elsewhere for our late-night hangouts.