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China Elevator Stories
"In China, Food Prices Have Mostly Stayed the Same"
I chat with a cab driver in Siping.
03/09/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
It’s August 2025. I take a cab in Siping and chat with the driver. He asks, “Where are you from?”
I reply, “I’m from Austria. Are you from Siping?”
“Yes, I am. Austria is a really amazing country.”
“Nature’s really beautiful, but otherwise, the economy isn’t as strong as it used to be. Food prices have also soared; food is much more expensive than before.”
“Why is that?”
“Because of the Russia-Ukraine war. Certain supplies in Austria are imported from abroad, such as wheat, a large percentage of which came from Ukraine. When Russia attacked Ukraine, they also disrupted their ability to export produce like wheat. As a result, food prices in Austria rose.”
He says, “I see. In China, food prices have mostly stayed the same. Actually, food is quite cheap here. Fortunately, we haven’t been negatively affected by the Russia-Ukraine war.”
I tell him, “Yes, that’s really great. In Europe, people are also very afraid that Russia will attack other countries.”
He says, “I see. I think China is very safe; we can be glad we don’t have to worry about war here. Siping is a rather small city, and most people rely on the agrarian economy for jobs. Some other cities in China offer better opportunities, but Siping isn’t ideal for jobs—it’s pretty backward. The economy of Jilin Province isn’t very strong, especially compared to Liaoning Province. If you’ve ever been there, you’ll see the difference. Liaoning is much richer than Jilin.”
“I see. I have been to Shenyang, but not to any of the smaller cities in Liaoning Province.”
He says, “I understand. Have you been to Dalian? It’s also in Liaoning Province. It’s a richer city because it has access to the sea, which makes it better than many other cities. Siping doesn’t have sea access, so people mostly work in agriculture here.”
I answer, “I went there many years ago.”
He goes on to explain, “Do you know how this area looked historically?”
I say, “I believe it used to be grasslands, right?”
He says, “Yes, it was all grasslands. It was once ruled by Mongolians. It hasn’t always been part of China. The Mongolians ruled here before they moved to Beijing and conquered much of China, as well as other regions. They were very skilled in the art of war.”
Have you ever visited Northeast China?
This is part of the series ‘Conversations with Locals in China,’ where I share conversations with Chinese people on my blog.