Has China peaked?

Even if China's growth slows in the coming years, India faces the daunting task of achieving something extraordinary to catch up

These days, not a single week passes without encountering a research report or YouTube talk on why China has peaked both economically and geopolitically. With a very poor post-Covid economic rebound, poorly performing stock markets, a default-driven property sector, and political leadership less focused on growth, doubts about China are building.

The mood has totally swung on the country. As late as 2021, most experts felt that China was destined to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy by the mid-2030s. Many believed that its economic model — top-down, technocratic, with long-term planning and clear industrial policies — was the