What the China Pessimists Are Getting Wrong

Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an speaks at a press conference on the sideline of the National People's Congress, Beijing, March 6, 2024. *Credit: Ng Han Guan via AP Photos*

Economists have lately been sounding the alarm that China’s economic development is teetering on the edge of a crisis. The problem, they argue, is that China’s growth is driven by extremely high levels of capital investment, and that private consumption is being suppressed. Is a crisis really looming, as many predict? It is true that China’s growth pattern could, for decades, be characterized as investment-driven. Like most East Asian economies, China supported devel

Subscribe or login to read the rest.

Subscribers get full access to:

Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.

We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.

Face-Off: U.S. vs. China

A podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all.

US Ambassador Nicholas Burns recently served in Beijing for three years. In this episode of Face-Off: US vs. China, host Jane Perlez talks to Burns about how he got Americans out of Chinese jails, how security operatives stopped American cultural groups from performing, and how China agreed to limits on AI in nuclear weapons.

The Wire China

What the China Pessimists Are Getting Wrong

While China is probably in a much better position than bearish observers claim, the economy would benefit if Chinese households saved less and consumed more.

Tim Cook’s Biggest Gamble

China Tariffs: Where Are We Now?
By Noah Berman

Henry Huiyao Wang on How China Views The Trade War
By Noah Berman

LISTEN NOW

Face-Off: U.S. vs. China
A podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all.

The Wire China Archives

China Tariffs: Where Are We Now? By Noah Berman

Henry Huiyao Wang on How China Views The Trade War By Noah Berman

Face-Off: U.S. vs. ChinaA podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all.

The Wire China Archives

China Tariffs: Where Are We Now?
By Noah Berman

Henry Huiyao Wang on How China Views The Trade War
By Noah Berman

Face-Off: U.S. vs. China
A podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all.