China's economic situation isn't as dire as it seems, and policymakers in Beijing were just expecting too much, economist says

• China's economy isn't doing as bad as it seems, according to economist Nancy Qian.
• The country's economy is still on track to grow 5% this year, per OECD forecasts.
• But Beijing has been disappointed due to outsized expectations for economic growth.

China has appeared to be flailing since coming out of its COVID-19 lockdowns at the end of last year, with pundits and observers predicting a dire situation for the world's second largest economy – but Beijing's economic situation actually isn't as bad as it seems, according to one economist.