Trend forecast

China’s standard of living will continue to improve, despite slowdowns along the way, increasing, as its economy moves from low-end manufacturing to high-end production, especially in technology fields. In fact, China’s middle class is projected to expand from 430 million today to 780 million by mid-2025. And higher-priced, higher-quality product lines, from food to fashion will expand with it. Again, absent events or circumstances that would defy sound reasoning and solid market principles, we do not anticipate that trade wars with the U.S. will threaten China’s economy. Moreover, unless the U.S. abandons its military industrial complex mindset and instead redirects it monetary and human resources to nation building, China’s growth with outpace America’s. And while investment in fixed-assets and household consumption is slowing and corporate defaults are rising, we see this as a readjustment to unsustainable fast growth, rather than a Chinese depression. Thus, over the long term, our forecast at mid-year remains: Follow The Yellow Silk Road. And OnTrendpreneurs should seize upon the opportunities this trend presents.