Streets in Jilin province were filled with vendors following the advocacy by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang despite opposition from Beijing and other metropolitan cities.

The Chinese capital and other metropolises such as Shenzhen have labelled Li’s “street vendor economy” as being unsuitable for their cities. However, this has seemingly not affected the policy’s reception in Northeast China.

On Wednesday morning, vendors in Jilin were seen occupying outdoor areas with stools and rucksacks despite the hot weather. Some wrote “occupied” on the streets to mark out their desired spots. There were no charges required and also no designated spaces for those who wanted to sell their wares on the street.

A resident in Jilin wrote in a social media post, “I just walked past Guilin Road. It was so busy. It took me back to my university days over a decade ago.”

A commentator familiar with the Chinese economy said street vendors in Jilin were tolerated because of the struggling economy in Northeastern China. By allowing residents to sell on the streets, the policy is expected to lower the unemployment rate, the commentator said.

The street vendor economy was pitched by Li as a way to revive the economy and keep workers in jobs as China faces the worst economic slump since the 1970s. The boycott by major cities has been seen as a sign of leadership disharmony between Li and Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping.

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