Leo Liu, manager of the sprawling Wankelai store in the Chinese capital of Beijing, spoke into a microphone, announcing progressively steeper discounts in a flash sale, until he finally sold a cotton jacket and a woman's undershirt.
When he bought an apartment near a good high school in northeast Beijing in 2020, Zhou Fujin expected that renting it out would cover most of his mortgage. But the apartment's value and the rent he is getting have plummeted in the past couple years,
Falling prices tend to weaken demand, hurt growth and deter credit uptake—all of which can form a doom loop. Will Beijing’s fiscal stimulus fend off that threat? Factory cutbacks may be needed too.
Residents play chess at a park in northeastern Beijing's Miyun district on Feb. 27, 2025. | Ng Han Guan/AP Deflation is an abstract economic concept but it reflects very concretely in Zhou’s ...