A New Era for Street Vendors in China?
China is reconsidering restrictions on street merchants, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The story has significance beyond whether residents of Chinese cities can find a good kabob stand. In recent years conflicts between peddlers and the police forces responsible for monitoring them have frequently spiraled out of control, with officers and vendors both resorting to violence. City management officers, or chengguan in Chinese, have developed a reputation for thuggery. With the economic slowdown there have been calls to ease the restrictions on street vendors in order to not shut off one avenue for employment open to jobless migrant workers. The Journal's story indicates that there is official recognition that something needs to be done. One question not raised is that of money. In some cities vendors can register already, but it is expensive and time consuming. If the system is to change in a meaningful way, then it has to be something low-income peddlers can afford.
Given the institutional inertia built into the city management system, major changes could prove difficult. Likewise, Chinese cities in recent years have been obsessive with reducing the jumble of city streets, sometimes at the loss of urban flavor. Will they reverse that for the sake of street vendors?
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Chinese government is extremely efficient, grabbing 80% of the money:
http://tinyurl.com/ofacfh -
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The chengguans are just doing their job, and showing off their Chinese cultural tradition, including thuggery and more. They are hired and pay to do that for China, to improve the hold on power by the CCP.
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[...] A New Era for Street Vendors in China? (china.blogs.time.com) [...]
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[...] 08月 13, 2009 1 人已拜读 主笔：Scarlett.C | 所属板块: 中国, 散装小抄 天朝极具特色的城管与街头小贩的猫鼠游戏以及白热化的暴力冲突，是一个很吸引外人眼球的问题。至于天朝对此有何解决之道，也颇受关注。《华尔街日报》近日一篇报道，就宣布了天朝将通过一系列手续使街头小贩合法化。带头的南京已经给了大约1万名穷苦居民在街上卖东西的合法地位。这一方面是为了促进就业，发展个人经济，另一方面也为缓解小贩和城管的矛盾，别打了。按《纽约时报》的话说，此举意义深远，可不仅仅止于让广大市民能在街头吃上烤串儿啊。但它同时也提出了一个悬而未决的问题就是，有些城市里小贩已经注册过了，但手续很费时且费用不菲，所以要想新系统有意义，那就得让低收入的小贩能承担得起。它还有一个期待，重回街头的小摊小贩，能让渐失特色的中国城市重新找回自我么？看来小贩们还挺任重道远的呐。 版权所有，欢迎网摘，全文转载请Email此处。 关键词: 城管, 小贩 重温精彩：牙买加劫机犯机场就擒 [...]
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"City management officers, or chengguan in Chinese, have developed a reputation for thuggery."
Chengguan are goons, not thugs yet. They need to be trained before they can officially join the CCP. Chasing and beating the street hawkers are fun training session, in addition to classroom study on Socialism with Chinese characteristics.
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Like a star in the sky.
That shining
star reappears
like a final
touch near a
vigorous cliff;
and always
remains, with
a little intention
in the care
of your sight.Francesco Sinibaldi
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Official Chinese guide tells how to beat suspects and leave no marks:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6150377.ece
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I am back now, to test your new censorship.
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[...] A New Era for Street Vendors in China? [...]
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