Many people think that when a physical store closes, it is only the problem of that one store owner. That is a big mistake—a serious misunderstanding. When hair salons, small restaurants, and clothing stores close one after another, your salary is not far from being cut. The collapse of physical stores is not the collapse of individual businesses, but the collapse of the entire city’s economy. This is a vicious cycle, and no one survives it. These places used to be full. Every shop used to be packed. Look at this cake shop, and then the Hong Kong-style market next to it—both are now closed. People used to say this was the best location. This area is by the river.

Signs of economic strain are becoming increasingly visible in China’s major cities. In Shanghai, once-bustling shopping districts like Xujiahui are seeing a sharp drop in consumer spending, with purchases falling to just a few yuan per customer. Streets that were once packed with shoppers now feel unusually quiet. For many residents, daily survival has become more difficult as economic pressure continues to build

#chinaeconomy #china #tofu #undercover

The Chinese government has recommended that farmers use natural gas instead of coal. As a result, local farmers have voiced widespread complaints. Many elderly people who were left behind in rural areas could not withstand the cold and have already died. Villagers ask how many elderly people in nearby villages have frozen to death and whether the authorities have ever cared. However, the Chinese Communist Party strictly controls public discourse. Discussions related to these incidents are banned online, and videos on the subject are ordered to be deleted.

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Argentina has done what many countries only whisper about behind closed doors: it ripped up its cooperation playbook with Beijing and walked away in broad daylight. The decision sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles, financial markets, and strategic think tanks alike. The man behind it, Javier Milei, was once dismissed as a political oddity—too loud, too radical, too reckless. Today, he is being watched as the leader who turned Argentina from a passive recipient of Chinese influence into one of the most defiant challengers of Beijing’s overseas expansion. For the Chinese Communist Party, Argentina has gone from promising partner to full-blown nightmare.

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Have you ever seen someone cry while selling a house?
Not tears of relief. Not tears of gratitude.
But tears of collapse.
Today, I saw it for the second time in my life.
The first time was years ago—when I sold my own home.
Today, it happened again, in Hongxiu City.
The owner bought that apartment in 2017. Back then, the market was roaring. He paid nearly 1.5 million yuan for the unit and bundled a 400,000-yuan parking space with it. Everyone told him he was lucky. Everyone said he got in just in time. Property was security. Property was the future. Property was dignity.

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Beijing and Shanghai have rarely looked this empty. Shops are closing, malls stand deserted—and one question echoes everywhere: where did the people go?
#chinaeconomy #undercover #tofu #collapse #china

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