Commentary Rebuts Gordon Chang's China Collapse Call, Citing 7,700 McDonald's Stores
Updated
Updated · RealClearMarkets · Jul 29
Commentary Rebuts Gordon Chang's China Collapse Call, Citing 7,700 McDonald's Stores
1 articles · Updated · RealClearMarkets · Jul 29
Summary
A new commentary argues Gordon Chang's warning that falling domestic consumption is wrecking China repeats a failed pattern from his 2001 collapse prediction.
The piece says production, not consumption, is the key economic driver, contending that savings are recycled into loans and investment rather than draining demand.
McDonald's China footprint is offered as evidence against Chang's thesis: 368 stores in 2001 grew to 5,500 by 2025, about 7,700 now, with 10,000 projected by 2028.
That expansion is presented as a proxy for continued consumer demand and foreign business confidence, challenging the idea that China's economy is spiraling toward collapse.