Ahead of the National Congress that begins on 16 October in Beijing, where Xi is likely to secure a third five-year term in power in China, Katie Stallard speaks to the author and political scientist Jeremy Wallace about whether you can trust what China says about its economy. 

They discuss how GDP data can be manipulated, the impact of Covid-19 on the country, and what we should be looking for to get an idea of the state of the Chinese economy.

You can also catch up with Katie Stallard’s three-part series on China Under Xi.

If you have a question for You Ask Us, go to newstatesman.com/youaskus

Read more: 

The downfall of Evergrande foreshadows a difficult decade for China – and for Xi Jinping

“Control your soul’s desire for freedom”: Shanghai’s dystopian Covid regime

As China stumbles, the West must ask: what if its rise is not inevitable?

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