Has economic growth stabilized?

For the last decade or so, China's economy has been on something of a roller-coaster ride. As 2018 begins, is the country approaching a new ascent, a steep drop, or something in between?

Before the global economic crisis a decade ago, the Chinese economy was growing at a breakneck pace. But when the crisis hit, the growth rate fell relatively sharply. Thanks to a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package, growth soon reached its trough and began to climb again, reaching 12.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2010.

Soon after, however, monetary tightening put economic growth back on a downward trajectory, spurring the government to loosen policy and introduce mini-stimulus packages in late 2011 and early 2012. This produced a short-lived and moderate rebound, with economic growth again beginning to slide, albeit less steeply, soon after.