Letters and Blogs

Street vendors

After reading You Nuo's article "Work with small-scale vendors" on September 24, China Daily, I was deeply impressed. You Nuo described the truth in most cities in this country where local governments are determined to build "clean/well-organized modern cities". On one hand they claim to represent and work for majority of the people. On the other, they forget who the majority is. In reality the majority are the poor people who lost their State jobs including their rural lands. These people are living under the poverty level. Some of them are struggling to survive. They eke out a living on city streets.

Fortunately the local government in the city where I live has changed its attitude toward the control of street vendors. However, during special occasions when high-ranking officials visit the city, vendors are driven off the streets for a few days to make the city look clean and neat. Residents, especially the elderly, encounter problems in trying to buy fresh food.