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'Street stall economy' falls victim to mixed messaging
Chinese Premier's remarks trigger frenzy to set up stalls, but many now ordered to close
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Customers browsing at a street stall at the Sanlitun shopping area in Beijing last week. Official broadcaster CCTV said roadside stalls were not "appropriate for first-tier cities", like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Elizabeth Law China Correspondent In Beijing, Elizabeth Law
Every afternoon at around 4pm, former Hebei resident Qi Mei unpacks boxes of fruit on a Beijing street corner, laying out her wares neatly.
She sells several varieties of melons, cherries, apricots and other fruit to the after-work crowd from nearby offices, while keeping a watchful eye out for enforcement officers.
