In Part 2 of our interview with EIU economist Tianchen Xu, we turn our focus to the Chinese consumer. Is spending recovering? What’s happening in the housing market? And are the big headline sales events like 618 masking deeper issues in consumer confidence?

Tianchen walks us through the mixed signals emerging from China’s domestic economy, from retail sales rebounds to the drag of the property sector. He also explains the broader social and psychological drivers behind current consumption behavior and what he expects for the rest of the year.

Discussion Points:

• The rebound in retail sales and why it may not reflect deep consumer confidence
• How the housing slowdown continues to weigh on economic psychology
• The role of savings, youth unemployment, and pandemic aftershocks
• Local government infrastructure spending vs. private consumption as growth drivers
• Why we shouldn’t expect a “bazooka” of stimulus—and what slow, steady support may look like