Part 12/12:
In summary, China’s so-called economic miracle is disproportionately observed through its glamorous megacities and technological advancements. The real health of the economy lies beneath the surface, in the state of its county towns—struggling, decaying, and silently dying.
When these counties—where most of China’s people actually live—reach a tipping point of irrecoverable decline, the entire system is at risk. Without fundamental reforms, the veneer of growth will crumble, revealing a nation built on fragile ground.
The collapse of China’s small county towns isn’t just a local issue—it’s a mirror reflecting the true state of the nation: aging, debt-ridden, and gradually slipping into decline from the ground up.