NPR.
This is the indicator from Planet Money.
I'm Weilin Wong.
So my teenage daughter and her friends are really into blind boxes these days.
They're small collectibles, often vinyl figurines,
and they come packaged so that you don't know exactly which one you'll get.
The fun is in the unboxing.
And these blind boxes are also really popular in China.
That's what NPR correspondent Jennifer Pak tells us.
So those are really kind of quick things that you can buy that doesn't cost a lot but makes you feel really satisfied for a bit until,
you know, the next fixing is needed.
Jennifer says one reason that blind boxes are hot in China is that people,
especially young people, don't have a lot of money to spend.
Consumption's been sluggish.
This is the backdrop this week as the Chinese government unveils its 2026 target for economic growth.
Thousands of representatives are gathering for the National People's Congress.
The government will announce its gross domestic product target for the year and outline a plan for how to get there.
It's like its own kind of blind box reveal, but with much higher stakes for both China and the U.S.
given the ongoing trade war and race for technological dominance.
Today on the show, Jennifer Pak tells us about the challenges facing China's economic policymakers.