Who is up and who is down on China’s economic team

On March 27th, when Xi Jinping met American business executives in Beijing, it was a rare opportunity for these corporate bigwigs to interact with China’s leader on his home turf. The meeting followed the China Development Forum, an annual economic conference held amid the lakes and willows of a tranquil state guesthouse in the capital. The economic backdrop to the meeting was less serene, thanks to a faltering economy, depressed stockmarket and sporadic regulatory crackdowns. Foreign direct investment has slumped (see chart).