Can China’s reported growth be trusted?
Economists have constructed alternative gauges, some less flattering than others
NO SOPHISTICATED ANALYSIS is needed to show that China is in better economic shape than most other countries these days. Just look at its bustling shopping malls, its jammed roads in rush hour and its mobbed tourist sites during holidays. But if the crowd scenes suffice to affirm that China is doing well, a little more work is needed to address the question: exactly how well? As is often the case with Chinese data, the answer is controversial.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The real deal”
Finance & economics October 17th 2020
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