Ruchir Sharma has rightly punctured desires of a sustained reopening growth in China (Opinion, Might 21). Certainly, outdated China arms see its economic system as a distant (however far bigger) echo of Japan’s at its 1990 peak, and for a similar causes — weakening demographics and an excessive amount of debt fuelling an excessive amount of funding, in Japan’s case company funding, in China’s case infrastructure and residential property.

China can also be experiencing the identical US protectionist backlash as Japan did then. This time, although, a sluggish Chinese language economic system might have extra critical international ramifications, and never merely when it comes to weakening demand for uncooked supplies equivalent to iron ore and copper. Germany, which way back hitched its wagon to China’s star, and benefited vastly from exports of automobiles and equipment might now endure from China’s drive for self-sufficiency. Its automotive exports to China are falling, whereas Chinese language manufacturers are squeezing out German makes domestically and are poised to invade the EU market.

And what are Chinese language home traders doing — shopping for gold at a premium to world costs. Not an indication of confidence in their very own economic system.

Richard Cragg
London KT1, UK