How did the Chinese economy bounce back from the coronavirus crisis?

Analysis: Could western countries learn anything from the example of Beijing? And is this impression of an economy that has emerged successfully from the crisis actually correct? Ben Chu investigates

Most of the recovery was driven by industry and construction rather than household consumption (AP)

China was the first country to be struck by the coronavirus pandemic. Its economy was also the first casualty, with output contracting by almost 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 as the entire province of Hubei was locked down and many of China’s largest cities also shut down much activity.

But China now seems, on the face of it, to be the first economy to recover too. The latest official data released on Thursday showed an impressive 11.5 per cent expansion in the second quarter of the year, above what most analysts had been expecting. The level of total activity in China is now higher than it was going into the crisis.