After Japan's "lost decade" and worries that Europe could suffer one too, you might be surprised to hear that some Chinese entrepreneurs are suggesting that China has just come out of its own "lost decade." Especially surprising given that China has been the world's fastest growing economy since 2001, excluding countries with populations under 10 million.

HONG KONG — China's economy delivered a surprise this week, posting a first-quarter GDP growth rate of  7.7 percent year over year. That's lower than economists were expecting, and it underscores the fragility of China's economic recovery from the doldrums of 2012. While many analysts point to weak industrial production as a cause of the slowdown, some observers have an intriguing theory about what may be exacerbating China's economic woe: the anti-corruption campaigns of president Xi Jinping.

Despite a slowing economy, China's richest business figures have retained their immense wealth after years of explosive growth.