News Analysis China’s economic growth is flagging, owing to low consumer demand, diminished raw-material imports, decreased factory output, supply side issues, and high factory gate prices. Threatened by heavy debt and a real estate industry on the brink of crisis, China’s economic growth has dropped to levels not seen in decades. As with most countries, at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, China went under strict lockdown, and economic activity ground to a halt. The economy recovered steadily, until it peaked in March 2021. Since then, economic momentum has been in decline. GDP growth in the third quarter fell to 4.9 percent, one the lowest quarters in the past 30 years. Credit grew at the slowest pace since 2003 and real estate investment has remained weak. Home sales are down, as are new construction starts. CPI-inflation is lower than expected. Imports have decreased. An energy crisis has caused …