China is too big for a Soviet Union-style collapse, but it’s on shaky ground

With its growth slowing, China's future is uncertain. We should be grateful if the change is not sudden

China's economy is going through a rough patch. Growth is slowing and its property bubble has well and truly burst. Unemployment is rising.

So what, you might say? Every country has difficult periods when past excesses catch up with it. Eventually the economic cycle turns and recovery begins. China is the world's second biggest economy and has grown at a stupendous pace over the past four decades. It plays a pivotal role in the global economy and has invested heavily in advanced manufacturing and AI. Sure, it has problems but it will emerge from them relatively unscathed.