Overnight Poverty: China’s Middle Class Breaks Down as Survival Gets Harder

"Everyone, let me give you a serious warning. People are becoming desperately poor—so poor that some are losing control. It doesn’t matter whether they’re locals or outsiders. People have already started prying doors and breaking locks. Along Xihu Road in Nankai District, Tianjin, three or four households have already been broken into. If there are elderly people or children at home, make sure the doors are locked properly. If you run a business, take all valuables away—do not leave anything inside the shop.
Everyone needs to raise their sense of vigilance. My God, people in Chengdu really have no money anymore. Now everyone takes their children to the mountains instead of spending. We are getting poorer and poorer. Why are people in Beijing becoming increasingly depressed? There is a very serious issue here. If all those so-called experts are wrong, how could ordinary people ever live a good life in Beijing?"