Beijing, It Seems, Hopes That Used Car Salespeople Can Save China’s Economy

To boost consumer spending and revive China’s struggling economy, Beijing is targeting the used car market—a step, to be sure, but far less than what is needed.

10/16/2025|Updated: 10/16/2025

Commentary

China’s commerce ministry has turned to the used car market to boost consumer spending and, presumably, get the economy back on track.

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.”