Thinking About China
Opinion

From Promise to Collapse: How China’s Community Canteens Exposed the Flaws of the State-Led Model

The Chinese Communist Party’s social and economic campaigns often violate fundamental market principles, which inevitably lead to failure.
From Promise to Collapse: How China’s Community Canteens Exposed the Flaws of the State-Led Model
People eat noodles in a restaurant in Wuhan city, Hubei Province, China, on Sept. 16, 2020. Getty Images
Xiao Yi
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Commentary

In 2022, Chinese authorities launched a nationwide campaign to build community canteens—subsidized dining facilities intended to serve the elderly and low-income groups. Promoted as a cornerstone of “livelihood services,” these canteens quickly spread across the country.

Xiao Yi
Xiao Yi
Author
Xiao Yi is a China affairs commentator and finance expert with three decades of experience, having worked in China, South Korea, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian nations. He is currently based in London.