When Westerners imagine Chinese cities, they likely picture bustling streets lined with an array of pop-up food, retail, and tchotchke vendors not unlike New York City's iconic churro ladies or all the hustlers hawking knockoff Gucci bags on Canal Street. But much like New York, China is constantly fighting with itself over how it approaches the street stall economy. One side sees it as a way to support the unemployed and underemployed, while the other finds it damaging to China's goal of a stylish and modern aesthetic. Thanks to recent comments from President Xi Jinping, vendors are finding themselves at the center of a public debate.