Qiu Baoxing, vice minister of construction, stressed the
diversified development of cities in his recent interview with
Beijing Times, quoting Japanese economist Aoki Masahiko as
saying that a city with only one economic mode is difficult to
maintain a sustainable development.
According to him, small traders and peddlers are one of the
components in urban diversification. More tolerant attitudes should
be adopted towards them and restrictions on them should be relaxed
in proper times such as weekends.
Many cities have adopted strict policies forbidding small
traders and peddlers, not only removing this disadvantaged group's
livelihoods but also resulting in many social conflicts, some
turning violent.
An article published in China Youth Daily on September
26 pointed out that many violent assaults in city management
occurred during the procedure of developing "clean cities". Henan
Province's Luoyang City used to forbid farmers from selling peaches
in the city in order to maintain a clean city image, a conflict
resolved after Premier Wen Jiabao intervened.
The article raised the question why developing a clean and
healthy city should be connected with peddlers and farmers selling
farm products on the streets. As long as they do not damage the
environment and maintain a clean place of business, they should be
allowed in the cities.
Currently, many disadvantaged people in the cities are
unemployed. Many farmers come to the cities to do some business or
sell agricultural and side-line products in order to make a living.
There is no need to crack their "rice bowls" just for the sake of a
clean city image, said the article.
In a letter published on www. people.com.cn, Beijing citizen Xin
Miao complained about the demolishing of the vegetable and fruit
market near his residential area. He said since construction began
on an overpass in May 2005, the market was shut down with no other
within three kilometers. An answer to this big headache for local
residents has been to buy fresh vegetables from peddlers, for whom
this represents a major opportunity. As they set up stands on
roadsides, the situation has now developed into a long-term
"hide-and-seek war" between peddlers and city management staff.
Since the area is located between the juncture of Beijing's
Dongcheng District and Chaoyang District, the two districts' urban
management departments have taken various measures to drive away
peddlers, even stationing ten more security guards on the street
from 4 AM to 7 PM. However, as common people need to buy
vegetables, peddlers need to make a living and city management
staff need to implement their duties, the conflicts remain unsolved
and are worsening. Whenever patrol cars arrive, peddlers run away
in panic. Once they leave, peddlers return, occupy the roadsides
and sometimes even block the normal traffic.
According to a report from Beijing TV on August 13, during the
last six months alone, city management staff had encountered 76
violent cases in the line of duty and 89 of them had been injured
during the conflicts with peddlers. On August 11, 37-year-old Li
Zhiqiang from Haidian District City Management Team was killed
during a conflict. This news has sent shockwaves through the whole
society. It's time to reflect on these problems and find some ways
to solve them, urged Xin Miao in his letter.
In downtown Beijing areas, many stores and stands selling
vegetables, fruit and grain and oil in the communities have been
demolished. This leaves common people with the dilemma of forking
out for expensive supermarket vegetables or of hoping for a
solution.
Is the city's cleanliness really more important than common
people's living and food, queried Xin Miao. Xin also called for
concerned departments to take measures to end the "war" between
peddlers and city management staff, and provide a venue for
peddlers for their legal operation.
These farmers and peddlers are not criminals or gangsters and
should not be treated as if they are, most of them being good and
hard-working, said Xin Miao in his letter. The harmony and
stability of the city need the joint efforts of all.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, October 6, 2006)