The numbers landed Wednesday morning: China's economy grew 4.3% in the second quarter — under the 4.5% forecast, down from 5.0% in the first quarter, and the weakest reading since the end of 2022. The BBC called it what it was: “China economic growth falls sharply, missing target.” CNN went with “China Q2 GDP: Slower-than-expected growth as Iran turmoil roils global trade.” * CGTN, China's state broadcaster, found a nicer number: “China's GDP expands by 4.7% YoY in the first half of 2026.” Expands! 4.7! Where did the 4.3 go? Into the blender. Average the bad quarter with the good one, report the smoothie. * And the article under that headline — we counted — is two sentences long. Two. The half-year figure and the yuan total, then the exit. No forecast, no miss, no target, no quarterly breakdown. That's not an article; that's a caption looking for a photo. * The tone came from the top. The National Bureau of Statistics headlined its own release: “National Economy Operated within an Appropriate Range with New Growth Drivers Developing Rapidly in the First Half Year.” Nineteen words, zero numbers. The vibes, you'll be relieved to hear, operated within an appropriate range. * CGTN's business page has meanwhile been extremely busy: “China's foreign trade posts robust growth in the first half of 2026.” “China's improving June PMIs point to stronger economic momentum.” And our favourite, “China's premier chairs symposium on economic situation” — because nobody convenes a symposium on the economic situation when the situation is going well. * Every government polishes a bad print — Washington does it, London does it. But there's a difference between polishing a number and disappearing it. “Expands by 4.7%,” published on the morning of the worst quarter in three and a half years, isn't covering the economy. It's covering the average of the economy and a better economy that no longer exists.