In an analysis for RANE Worldview in March, senior analyst for global economics at RANE, Michael Monderer, wrote that "China’s continued high rate of fiscal stimulus doesn’t match up with the narrative that its economy has recovered from the COVID-19 crisis."

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, Emily Donahue speaks to Monderer, who explains what it means that China’s announced GDP growth target for 2021 is just 6%, lower than outside predictions.  China's heavy reliance on investing in its economy and could be an early indicator that China’s post-COVID economic recovery is not as solid as raw data indicates writes Monderer.