ADVERTISEMENTThe mixed messaging began when a government website reported that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had told street stall holders they were a key part of the economy during a visit to northeast China last week. While not backed by any formal policy, Li’s comments spurred people nationwide to set up street stalls, including on the back of bikes and even on pavements. Wang Zhiping, a 72-year-old former street cleaner originally from central Henan province, took up street selling after hearing Li’s words of encouragement. And there was online rejoicing of street vending with hashtags including “If you were a street vendor, what would you sell?” and “Everyone is street selling” getting millions of views on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform. “Although it seems sensible to relax regulations on self-employment activity in times of recession… I am sceptical that promoting a street vendor economy will substantially boost consumption,” said Albert Park, an economics professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 11, 2020 07:41 UTC