China’s economy, long a reliable source of growth, is faltering, prompting concerns that are now shaking global stock markets. Companies and countries that depend heavily on trade with China are reassessing their strategies in the face of uncertainty. As China’s economy slows, countries with significant exposure to raw materials, like Australia and Brazil, are facing serious headwinds. Germany exports

China, Driving Economic Force

As China’s economy slows, countries with significant exposure to raw materials, like Australia and Brazil, are facing serious headwinds. Germany exports machinery and automobiles to China, which had been a counterbalance to slow growth in Europe.

Slumping Stocks Are Igniting Broader Fears

Despite significant intervention, the Chinese government has been unable to stop the stock slide. Global markets initially shrugged off the weakness as simply a correction in a market that had doubled in the preceding year. But the tumult is now spreading around the world, as worries grow about the health of China’s economy.

Economic Uncertainty Reigns in China

Although the government puts China’s official growth at 7 percent a year, some economists question whether the economy is slowing more quickly. Here are two alternative estimates of China’s output.