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The Pescadero Perspective
news Project Syndicate 2026-05-25

Is China's Economic Triumphalism Justified Amidst Structural Problems?

China's elites view its economic growth as a triumph of state-led development, but structural issues like overcapacity and inequality suggest this confidence may be premature.


<p>China’s political and intellectual elites increasingly see the country’s economic transformation as evidence that state-led development has succeeded where liberal capitalism has failed. Yet structural problems, including overcapacity and persistent inequality, suggest that triumphalism may be premature.</p>

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