China

After China’s most powerful leader Deng Xiaoping introduced a free-enterprise system and reforms into the country’s economy in the 1980s, his successors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao gave further momentum to the country’s growth. Under President Hu Jintao’s two-five-year term, China’s average growth remained around 10%--a spectacular performance that saw the country’s development in almost all sectors. But today, China under President Xi Jinping is faltering economically, politically, and diplomatically. It is struggling to keep the gross domestic product growth rate in the 4-5% range in 2024 to “vigorously” promote investment, said Financial Times. Import of Chinese goods to the American market declined by more than 20% in the January-November period, according to the US Commerce Departme...

Foreign companies doing business in China are sending shockwaves through the economy. In a surprising economic shift, China has witnessed a substantial downturn in foreign investment, reaching a near four-year low of $7.5 billion in November, meticulously calculated by Bloomberg based on Ministry of Commerce data. This significant 19.5% drop from the previous year is indicative of a challenging economic phase gripping the nation. Throughout the year, the overall investment scenario has painted a broader picture of concern, experiencing a 10% decline to $1.04 trillion. The disconcerting revelation from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange further accentuates the narrative, revealing foreign investment in China turning negative for the first time since 1998. This paradigm shift sugg...