David Dollar
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
David Dollar is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, focusing on China's economy and U.S.-China relations. He has extensive experience in international finance and development.
Global Business / Economy
Is China's Economy a Systemic Risk to Global Markets — or Is That Narrative Being Used to Justify Decisions Already Made for Other Reasons?China's slowing economy has become one of the defining questions facing global investors, policymakers, and multinational businesses. As the world's second-largest economy grapples with weaker growth, a troubled property sector, and elevated debt levels, concerns have grown over whether these challenges could destabilise international markets. While economists broadly agree that China's economic health matters because of its central role in global trade and supply chains, they differ sharply on the scale of the threat. Some warn that prolonged weakness could dampen worldwide growth, while others argue that framing China primarily as a systemic risk oversimplifies a far more complex global economy. The debate is ultimately about resilience, interdependence, and whether today's geopolitical narratives are shaping economic perceptions as much as economic data itself.