A New Slant on Chinas Economic Troubles

Because many rightly suspect the veracity of Beijing’s statistics, a look at local government announcements can shed new light on China’s weak economy.Couple inspects empty shelves as IKEA prepares to close, in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 15th, 2026. Andrea Aimar/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images2/9/2026|Updated: 2/9/2026CommentaryFor three years running, Beijing has announced that the economy’s real economic growth has hit the officially targeted 5 percent figure. For 2026, Beijing has set a target of 4.5–5.0 percent.Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, a New York-based communications firm. Before joining Vested, he served as chief market strategist and economist for Lord, Abbett & Co. He also writes frequently for City Journal and blogs regularly for Forbes. His latest book is “Thirty Tomorrows: The Next Three Decades of Globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live.”Author’s Selected Articles