How much trouble is China’s economy in?

WHEN Janet Yellen visited Beijing this month, she did her bit for the local restaurant trade. America’s treasury secretary dined with her team at an establishment known for Yunnanese dishes, which subsequently unveiled a “God of Wealth” menu in her honour. She also hosted a lunch with female entrepreneurs and economists.

Although restaurants have prospered since China dropped its Covid controls at the end of last year, the gods of wealth have been less kind to the rest of the country’s economy – as gross domestic product (GDP) figures released on Jul 17 revealed.

They showed that the economy grew by 6.3 per cent in the second quarter compared with a year earlier. That looks impressive. But it was slower than expected. And the figure was flattered by a low base in 2022, since Shanghai and other cities were locked down last year.