The streets of Beijing are just as bustling as ever. People are lining up at the restaurants in the city centre’s shopping malls, even though it’s way past lunchtime. On the surface, there is little sign that China’s economy is in trouble, or that daily life and jobs here are affected. Home prices are still high— way beyond what the average Beijing salary could afford.
But many industries affected by the economic slowdown have moved out of the capital, which explains why the impact is less keenly felt here.