Had Xi Jinping been a democratic leader, he would have been in terrible political trouble. Recent months have exposed the biggest weaknesses with Mr. Xi’s management of China’s economy, right at the same time as he intends to consolidate his political control. What follows is a morality tale dealing with the dangers of being an autocrat in a confused era.
The Chinese economy is on ropes in a way it hasn’t for a generation. Beijing will not achieve its target of GDP growth of 5.5% this year, and that target already represented a serious concession to the economic gravity when it was announced. Despite some recent bright spots, such as a slight improvement in business sentiment, most economic signals are negative.
opinion | China Tires of ‘Being China for a Day’
Had Xi Jinping been a democratic leader, he would have been in terrible political trouble. Recent months have exposed the biggest weaknesses with Mr. Xi’s management of China’s economy, right at the same time as he intends to consolidate his political control. What follows is a morality tale dealing with the dangers of being an autocrat in a confused era.
The Chinese economy is on ropes in a way it hasn’t for a generation. Beijing will not achieve its target of GDP growth of 5.5% this year, and that target already represented a serious concession to the economic gravity when it was announced. Despite some recent bright spots, such as a slight improvement in business sentiment, most economic signals are negative.