In some important ways, the Chinese economy has lagged the US in recent years. The country held on to anti-COVID lockdown policies much longer than most others, but after nearly three years of restrictions it has finally been opening up. The result is a strong surge in growth, according to recent Chinese government data. The country’s GDP grew 4.5% in 1Q23, compared to 2.9% in 4Q22. A particular strength noted in the Chinese data was the 10.6% increase in March’s retail sales. Weaknesses include