Commentary: China is playing the long game on trade. It’s working

The extension has come at a delicate time for the economy, which is plagued by sluggish domestic demand and a slowdown in the property sector. The economy expanded by 5.2 per cent in April-June from a year earlier – enviable by global standards – but anxieties among the once-thriving middle class over the future for their children are rising. That figure has improved in recent months, but analysts point to significant challenges: More than 12 million university students are set to graduate with hopes of joining the workforce.