They may still be under the radar for many westerners, but China’s second- and third-level cities will rise in profile over the next few years. Gary Noakes reports
COMMENTATORS ARE SPLIT on exactly when China will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy, with some saying as early as 2017, but all agree it will be by the end of the decade. China’s time at the top of the economic tree will, according to Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, be around 40 years, after which it will be superseded by India. Any buyer entering the industry now will surely find China part of their remit at some point in their career. Ironically, China is reaching
the top spot as its expansion slows. Its economy has been growing by more than 10 per cent a year for the last 30 years, and only now have the brakes come