China | Chaguan

Why China’s confidence crisis goes unfixed

In 2024, to acknowledge public gloom is to doubt Xi Jinping

Illustration of parliament building at Beijing, China.
Illustration: Chloe Cushman

A curious absence could be felt in Beijing this week. When the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) began on March 5th, China’s unhappy people were missing.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “China’s confidence trap ”

From the March 9th 2024 edition

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