If you only read the headlines—or, say, my columns—you might be pessimistic about China’s economy. Recent news has been dominated by a crackdown on capital outflows, worries about rapid debt growth, and efforts to rein in a risky overseas investment binge. Yet ordinary Chinese are highly optimistic: The China Consumer Confidence Index hit 114.6 in July, a level not seen …

Byung-Yeon Kim, a professor at Seoul National University, began interviewing North Korean defectors seven years ago to learn more about their country’s economy. One wouldn’t have thought there was much to discover: Often described as “Stalinist,” the hermetic regime to the north seemed to preside over a crude, centrally planned system, with peasants toiling away for a pittance in collective …

Bloomberg US stocks added to records, the dollar halted a two-day drop and Treasuries slipped as investors remained bullish on the American economy ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. Gold fell as demand for havens faded. The S&P 500 Index held above 2,500, the Stoxx Europe 600 jumped the most in almost a week and equities increased from Australia …