Tone down expectations post-Party congress, but hold on to hope in a slower-growing China

I SPENT much of 2015 and 2016 living and working in Shanghai, China. I have fond recollections of the city. 

Shanghai bustled with energy. Businesses in many sectors were busy innovating and acting quickly to execute ambitious growth plans. I was then in my mid-40 and entertained thoughts that if I were younger or my family were with me, Shanghai might be a good place to spend many years to develop my career.  

I also remember that colleagues and business associates in the city had unbridled optimism that the economies of Shanghai and China as a whole would continue to grow rapidly for years to come, and that salaries and asset prices would continue to rise quickly.