Front Burner

Is China's economic miracle going bust?

The Chinese government has just unveiled a massive stimulus for its troubled economy, but can it fix the slowdown long-term? What’s at stake for the country, and the world?
A person on a scooter rides past a construction site.
TOPSHOT - A woman rides a scooter past the construction site of an Evergrande housing complex in Zhumadian, central China's Henan province on September 14, 2021. (Photo by JADE GAO / AFP) (Photo by JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images) (Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images)

China's economy has changed drastically in the last four decades. When China started to open up to the world in the late '70s and '80s, it went from one of the world's poorest countries, to one of the world's fastest growing major economies.

But now, that same economy is struggling. Home prices are in freefall, retail sales are slowing down, unemployment is up. Things have gotten so rough that last week the Chinese government announced a set of stimulus measures that are meant to give the economy a big boost. 

Jonathan Cheng is the Wall Street Journal's China bureau chief. He walks us through what these economic challenges mean for China, its citizens, and the global economy.

For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts
Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Subscribe to Front Burner on your favourite podcast app

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Listen on YouTube