Crossword Genius

Part of capital in China with large retail area (4,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pall mall

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'part of capital' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.

'china with large retail area' is the wordplay.
'china' becomes 'pal' (china plate is Cockney rhyming slang for mate).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'large' becomes 'L' (eg in clothes sizes).
'retail area' becomes 'mall' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'pal'+'l'+'mall'='PALL-MALL'

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for pall mall that I've seen before include "Game once played" , "Monopoly board includes this" , "London street with many private clubs" , "Sixteenth and seventeenth century ball game" , "Old ball game" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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