The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal

China’s 40-year boom is over. What comes next?

By Lingling Wei and Stella Yifan Xie

20 Aug 2023 · 10 min read

informed Summary

  1. China's economic model, which has been based on heavy investment in infrastructure, is no longer sustainable due to high levels of debt and overbuilding.

For decades, China powered its economy by investing in factories, skyscrapers and roads. The model sparked an extraordinary period of growth that lifted China out of poverty and turned it into a global giant whose export prowess washed across the globe.

Now the model is broken.

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