Chinese Resident Describes Economic Decline in a County-Level City

The small-business owner says weak demand, business closures, and job shortages are fueling uncertainty about the future.

People play mahjong in Kunming, China's southwest Yunnan Province, on March 31, 2025. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

A resident of a county-level city in China says local economic conditions have deteriorated to the point that informal gambling and low-end service work have become dominant sources of income, while businesses struggle to survive amid weak demand, rising costs, and tightening local fiscal pressures.

County-level cities refer to smaller cities in China that are not part of the main population centers, such as Beijing and Shanghai.