Part 7/9:
Alongside its economic woes, China is grappling with a demographic crisis deepening as the population shrank by 1.4 million in 2024. This trend marks the third year of population decline, thereby increasing the strain on social services and compounding economic burdens on younger generations. The uneven distribution of this demographic decline will likely exacerbate regional disparities, further complicating governmental efforts to enact effective economic policies.