China's jobless turn to car boot sales as COVID-hit economy stalls

Hospitality, tourism and after-school tutoring have been particularly hard hit

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Wang Wei to shut his tourism company, the Tianjin native poured his life-savings of 80,000 yuan ($11,785) into selling coffee from the back of his green Suzuki micro van in the Chinese capital Beijing, Qazet.az reports.

Since June, Wang has driven his mobile coffee booth from car boot fair to car boot fair, offering hand-brewed coffee steeped in an assortment of liqueurs.

Once considered too low-status for many, peddling wares on the street has made a comeback as people who lost their jobs or closed down their businesses seek new ways to make a living and work around China's relentless anti-COVID policies.