China’s Growth Is Headed Toward Zero—What It Means for the US

As growth slows, China’s economic model is under strain—creating both opportunities and new risks for the United States.

Yantian International Container Terminals under heavy storm clouds in Shenzhen, China, on April 11, 2025. Cheng Xin/Getty Images

China may be approaching the end of its growth era.

Beijing has already set the lowest growth target since 1991, at 4.5 percent to 5 percent. China’s economy could stall entirely as a collapsing property market, rising debt, and a declining population converge.