Commentary China reported a year-on-year economic growth of 18.3 percent in the first quarter of 2021, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on April 16. Then on April 27, the NBS announced that industrial enterprises above designated size achieved a 1.4 times increase in profits in the first quarter. Chinese state media repeatedly touted that China’s economy has completely recovered from the slump caused by the pandemic, becoming a world leader in economic recovery and prosperity. If you read the Chinese news at a superficial level, their statements seem to be true. However, few people understand how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) manipulates its statistical data. Let’s examine how the regime concocts information on China’s economic growth. The ‘Keqiang Index’ The economic growth data released by the Chinese regime are usually among the best in the world. In countries and international organizations where the CCP has a …