Just because there is a coordinated media campaign does not necessarily invalidate the issue being presented. For example, MSM reporting on Venezuela's economy ramped up significantly from early 2016 to coincide with a diplomatic push for regime change. Fast forward to present day, Maduro is stil president but the economy is definitely in a even worse shape. Not to mention a lot of the structural problems were already present before Chavismo so their current position wa made inevitable decades ago.
P.S. Chinese households have already leveraged themselves to the brim in the last couple of years, thanks to real estate speculation. Opinions differ on exact figures but most estimates place average household debt in the range of 80% to 100% of disposable income which is close to that of the USA. The government's finances are in okay shape but the people's are definitely not.
Sure, there are issues and there is definitely a speculatory angle to Chinese real estate. That's not debatable. However, I don't think there's an average Chinese household, and it's hard to interpret these genericized and simplified third or fourth hand statistics and draw any valid conclusions. In short, I don't believe (though do not fully dimiss) random other-language reported numbers reported in tabloid format, rather I am inclined believe the people and my own eyes.
P.S. Chinese households have already leveraged themselves to the brim in the last couple of years, thanks to real estate speculation. Opinions differ on exact figures but most estimates place average household debt in the range of 80% to 100% of disposable income which is close to that of the USA. The government's finances are in okay shape but the people's are definitely not.