Copper foil production at Zhejiang Huanergy Co. in Jinhua, China.

Copper foil production at Zhejiang Huanergy Co. in Jinhua, China.

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

China’s Plan to Save the Economy Comes at a Cost to Factories

Using state power to accelerate advanced manufacturing has left even cutting-edge sectors struggling with excess supply

The pen squeaks as Jeff Pan sketches a chart on a white-board. He draws a black line signifying consumption that shoots up, then a blue line that edges higher in fits and starts, before ultimately overtaking the first.

That, he explains, is supply.