The Briefing Room

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BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

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David Aaronovitch presents in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news.

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news

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The Briefing Room: China Crisis?

China Crisis

China Crisis?

BBC Radio 4 - The Briefing Room, China Crisis?

With an energy shortage and growing debts, is China's economy in trouble?

Chinese companies and homes have been facing a shortage of energy. Factories have had to shut. The property sector also has huge debts. So is China's economy really in trouble?

For years China has been perhaps the most important economic engine driving growth around the world. Earlier this year it bounced back from the Covid shutdowns with double-digit growth. Global demand for Chinese-made products has been booming. But this week growth figures have dropped dramatically. The country has been experiencing an energy and property crisis. So, is the bubble bursting? And should we be worried?

Joining David Aaronovitch in the Briefing Room are:

Celia Hatton, the BBC's Asia Pacific Editor
Dr. Philip Andrews-Speed, Senior Principal Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute of the National University of Singapore
George Magnus, Research Associate at the China Centre, Oxford University
Tom Orlik, Chief Economist at Bloomberg Economics
Dr. Keyu Jin, Associate Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics


Producers: John Murphy, Soila Apparicio, Kirsteen Knight
Sound Engineer: Graham Puddifoot
Editor: Jasper Corbett

Image: Chenzhou in China during a blackout Credit: Alamy

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