The Ministry of State Security released a warning this week, blaming foreign actors for spreading anti‑work slogans that push Chinese youth toward a trend known as lie flat. The agency claims that overseas groups fund media and influencers to erode the ambition of young workers, threatening China’s long‑term growth.

China set this year’s GDP target at 4.5‑5%, the lowest outside the pandemic, while property sales slump and shrinking profits leave many workers burned out. Some have moved back home or accepted informal gig work, choosing an alternative lifestyle that critics label a political threat.

Professor Steve Tsang of SOAS argues that the so‑called lie flat movement questions the collective duty to struggle, a stance Beijing views as undermining national security. He notes that blaming foreign influence offers a convenient scapegoat amid a slowing economy that the party refuses to acknowledge.

The MSS’s public message signals Beijing’s tightening grip on social narratives as it confronts a workforce that increasingly seeks balance over relentless productivity. For investors, the trend could shrink domestic consumption and pressure tech companies that rely on a stable, high‑growth labor market.