The 'Chinese Dream' is shrinking. That's bad news for the global economy.

Anthony Kwan/Getty Images 2025 was another strong year for China's economy — on paper. Beijing reported the world's second-largest economy hit its 5% GDP growth target for the year. Exports held up. Industrial output stayed resilient. Underneath the surface, however, things were not as anodyne. There is China's ongoing real estate bust and the continued trade battle with the US. And then there's another ongoing problem that could prove even tougher to solve: getting young people to believe i...