My Take | Why silencing debate over China’s economy is bad for the country
- Alternative voices have been dismissed, despite China’s economic failings becoming too real to ignore
- The elephant in the room is how the country can balance economic growth and its zero-Covid policy
According to a recent joke shared among Chinese economists, few of them are willing to talk about the domestic economy these days, finding a lot more comfort instead in debating topics such as the risk of recession in the US.
The reluctance to raise questions about China’s economic situation or Beijing’s related policies is understandable, as Chinese authorities are getting less tolerant of dissenting voices.
Expressing contradictory views on a government policy could be seen as a deliberate affront to central authorities. Even a well-intended reminder of market risks can be seen as something that “bad-mouths” the government or a “malicious attempt to short the Chinese economy”.
A number of voices in China have already been silenced, with their Chinese social media accounts shut down and their names blacklisted by local media outlets.
Any mention of economic dangers could come under accusations of failing to spread “positive energy”, despite the country’s economic failings becoming too real to ignore.