, Columnist
China's Other Mission
From shopping to gambling, Beijing is luring its consumers home.
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As the world watches President Xi Jinping reiterate pledges to open up China, Beijing is undertaking an equally important mission -- to take back its shoppers.
Soon, consumers desiring the latest luxury handbag, gamblers keen for a punt or unprofitable tech startups wishing to list won't have to go abroad. That's good for the mainland, but not so great for special administrative regions like Hong Kong and Macau.