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)