Hong Kong CNN — When China was in the midst of a pandemic-induced economic slump in 2020, then Premier Li Keqiang touted the idea of creating jobs by encouraging street vendors to set up shop across the country. That pitch was quickly shot down by close associates of leader Xi Jinping, who characterized the traditional trade as “unhygienic and uncivilized.” Just three years later, how the tables have turned. In a major policy reversal, the “street vendor economy” is making a comeback with many cities lifting curbs on hawkers and encouraging jobless youth to set up open-air stalls as a…