1. Home
  2. >
  3. Economy 🏛️
Posted

Has Xi Jinping bankrupted China?

As China's economic crisis unfolds, it is becoming apparent that the immense debt accumulated in building infrastructure projects, coupled with high unemployment and personal decisions made by Xi Jinping, could pose a serious threat to the regime's stability and potentially lead to a post-Communist China.

unherd.com
Relevant topic timeline:
China's real estate crisis, caused by a crackdown on risky behavior by home builders and a subsequent housing slowdown, is spreading to the broader economy, leading to sinking sales, disappearing jobs, and a decline in consumer confidence, business investment, and stock markets.
China is facing a severe economic downturn, with record youth unemployment, a slumping housing market, stagnant spending, and deflation, which has led to a sense of despair and reluctance to spend among consumers and business owners, potentially fueling a dangerous cycle.
China's weak economy, including an unstable property market and weak consumer demand, is posing risks to global markets and economies like the US, according to experts.
China's stuttering economy poses a major threat to global commodities demand, as economic activity and credit flows deteriorate, and structural challenges and weaknesses in various sectors, including base metals, iron & steel, crude oil, coal & gas, and pork, affect the market.
China's economy is facing challenges with slowing growth, rising debt, tumbling stock markets, and a property sector crisis, and some analysts believe that heavy-handed government intervention and a lack of confidence are underlying causes that cannot be easily fixed. However, others argue that China's problems are solvable and that it remains a superpower despite its considerable problems.
China's economy is struggling and facing a lurching from one economic challenge to the next due to failures in economic policy and the centralization of power under President Xi Jinping, which is causing bad decision-making and a decline in living standards.
China is facing challenges in defusing risks from its local government debt without resorting to major bailouts, as many local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) are struggling to generate enough income to pay off their debts and are experiencing difficulty in accessing financing from banks and investors. If the debt restructuring efforts fail, it could have a significant impact on China's economic growth and pose risks to the country's financial system.
China's economy is at risk of entering a debt-deflation loop, similar to Japan's in the 1990s, but this can be avoided if policymakers keep interest rates below a crucial level to stimulate economic growth.
China's unexpected economic slowdown, driven by excessive investment in the property sector and local government spending, is leading experts to question whether a collapse is imminent, although they believe a sudden collapse is unlikely due to China's controlled financial system; however, the slowdown will have implications for global growth and emerging markets, particularly if the U.S. enters a recession next year.
China's economic slowdown, coupled with a property market bust and local government debt crisis, is posing challenges to President Xi Jinping's goals of achieving economic growth and curbing inequality, potentially affecting the Communist Party's legitimacy and Xi's grip on power.
China's economic model, driven by industrialization and exports, is showing weaknesses with an imbalanced economy, low demand, slumping trade, and a struggling property sector, highlighting the need for structural reforms to boost domestic consumption and confidence.
China's property developers are facing a debt crisis and the country's economy is in a worse state than it was in the 1970s, raising concerns about a broader financial crisis, according to analyst Charlene Chu.
China's economy is facing a number of challenges, including a property sector crisis, but experts believe it is unlikely to experience a "Lehman moment" like the US did in 2008 due to its state-owned financial system and government involvement in the economy. However, they do foresee a prolonged structural economic crisis.
China's Premier Li Qiang faces significant challenges as he tries to navigate the country through an economic crisis caused by the pandemic and external pressures, including record-high youth unemployment, a property crisis, and faltering investor confidence, all of which have led to concerns about China's economic stability and long-term growth prospects.
China's economy is facing challenges, with youth unemployment at a record high, mismatched skills in the job market, and the risk of falling into the middle-income trap, jeopardizing President Xi Jinping's goal of turning China into a high-income nation.
China's economy is struggling due to an imbalance between investments and consumption, resulting in increased debt and limited household spending, and without a shift towards consumption and increased policy measures, the economic slowdown may have profound consequences for China and the world.
China is facing increasing financial stress as a property giant seeks to avoid default and a state-run bad debt manager experiences a bond slump, contributing to concerns about the country's economy.
China's economic problems are beginning to resemble Japan's long-lasting issues, as a real estate crisis, an aging population, surging youth unemployment, and high local government debts create a crisis of confidence, potentially leading to a "lost decade" of economic stagnation and deflation, while Japan shows signs of climbing out of its decades-long economic nightmare with rising inflation and a potentially optimistic outlook.
China is planning to relax home-purchase restrictions and implement new measures to address the debt crisis in its property sector, which accounts for a quarter of its economy, in an effort to boost consumer demand.
China's troubled developer Country Garden is facing a debt crisis in the property sector, and if it fails to extend its domestic debt, it may default, exacerbating the country's real estate crisis and putting strain on its lenders.
China's failure to restructure its economy according to President Xi Jinping's bold reform plans has raised concerns about the country's future, with the possibility of a financial or economic crisis looming and a slow drift towards stagnation being the most likely outcome. The three potential paths for China include a swift, painful crisis; a gradual winding down of excesses at the expense of growth; or a switch to a consumer-led model with structural reforms that bring short-term pain but lead to a faster and stronger emergence.
China's economic slowdown, driven by a debt-ridden and overbuilt property sector, is not expected to have a significant impact on the global economy or US exports, although a prolonged downturn could have broader consequences. While companies like elevator maker Otis will feel the effects, China's reduced growth is unlikely to be contagious beyond its borders.
China's economy has faced numerous challenges in 2023, including deflation and a property crisis, but another significant threat is the increasing number of wealthy individuals leaving the country, contributing to a brain drain.
The prospect of a prolonged economic slump in China poses a serious threat to global growth, potentially changing fundamental aspects of the global economy, affecting debt markets and supply chains, and impacting emerging markets and the United States.
China's economic slowdown is posing a significant challenge to President Xi Jinping's agenda, forcing him to make difficult choices and potentially relinquish some control over the economy. The slump in housing sales and the crackdown on private capital are among the factors contributing to the economic setbacks, prompting calls for change and a reevaluation of economic policies under Xi's highly centralized leadership. However, Xi seems reluctant to make major changes to his strategy, opting for a hands-off approach and avoiding a big rescue plan for distressed developers and local governments. The central government's control over taxes and the need to revamp the fiscal system further complicate the situation. Restoring government finances while reassuring private investors is a daunting task that requires strong leadership and potentially contentious policy changes. The upcoming Communist Party meetings will shed light on how Xi plans to restore confidence in his economic agenda, but some economists and former officials warn that time may be running out for China to embrace necessary reforms.
China's economy risks falling into a vicious cycle of debt and deflation, but economist Shang-Jin Wei suggests that launching an aggressive bond-buying campaign and allowing the yuan to lose value may be necessary to avoid this trap.
China's Belt and Road Initiative is facing challenges and losing steam due to economic downturn, rising debt, defaults, and the impact of COVID-19, prompting a rethink by Beijing to boost profitability and address concerns about the debt burden on participating countries.
China is showing signs of a balance-sheet recession similar to Japan's, with accumulating debt and falling house prices, but there are key differences that suggest it may not face the same fate. State-owned enterprises and property developers account for much of China's debt, and households have low debt relative to their assets. However, the Chinese government's reluctance to increase spending could prolong the recession.
China's economic recovery is being hindered by heavily indebted local government financial vehicles (LGFVs), which were created to build public infrastructure but are now a ticking time bomb that restrains the country's ability to spend its way out of the current economic slowdown. The options for President Xi Jinping are limited, but a harsher solution like a fire sale of LGFVs' assets may be necessary to address the debt overhang and revive economic growth.
China's increasing public debt could harm Asian economies, while the US's debt may divide society and hinder support for its green energy transition, according to analysts.
China's housing crisis continues as thousands of building projects are halted or slowed, leading to defaults and restructuring, a loss of confidence in the market, and a decline in sales.
The disappearance of China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, and other political upheavals are causing uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's rule and could impact other countries' confidence in China's leadership.
Chinese President Xi Jinping faces numerous challenges, including economic troubles, natural disasters, community dissent, and international conflicts, as he continues to centralize power, leading to signs of dissatisfaction and potential issues ahead.
China's credit is expanding rapidly, with total social financing increasing by over 3 trillion yuan in August, mainly driven by government financing, indicating positive signs of economic stabilization and recovery from the slump in the second quarter. Additionally, recent policy measures, particularly in fiscal and property sectors, are expected to further stimulate the economy.
China's local authorities have amassed trillions of dollars in hidden debt, requiring the central government to consider drastic measures like enabling the sale of bad debt to asset managers and increasing tax revenue allocation to resolve the issue.
Chinese city and provincial governments are struggling with a financial crisis caused by a mountain of debt, leading to desperate measures such as fining restaurants and truck drivers, as they grapple with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and real estate slump.
China's top leadership is pressuring provincial authorities and state-owned enterprises to repay debt owed to private companies in an effort to address the issue of triangular debt, which is hampering economic growth; the campaign aims to ensure that state-owned enterprises take the lead in repaying debts.
China's economic woes may not be catastrophic as its policymakers and the country's vast resources, coupled with its massive economy and global interconnectedness, offer potential for recovery despite mounting financial and geopolitical pressures.
China's President Xi Jinping faces criticism as China shifts away from its previous economic success and becomes a "pariah state," with some scholars suggesting he is dealing with structural problems inherited from previous leaders that now threaten the Chinese Communist Party.