According to a March 2024 action plan, the Ministry of Commerce, together with other Chinese government agencies, has offered subsidies to consumers who trade in old automobiles, home appliances, and fixtures for new models. On paper, the plan loosely resembles the “cash for clunkers” program that Washington introduced during the 2008 recession to

... See more

Ever since China’s 1994 fiscal reform, which allowed local governments to retain a share of the tax revenue they collected but reduced the fiscal transfers they received from Beijing, local governments have been under chronic financial strain. They have struggled to meet their dual mandate of promoting local GDP growth and providing public services

... See more

-Most US spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Defense is unaffected by recent policy. All of this spending is sideways-to-up for the foreseeable future, which trickles into the consumer economy, the healthcare sector, and the defense sector.

-The two-speed economy is likely to remain in effect. High interest rates (even after some cuts),... See more