China may be a nation of savers, but it is becoming a nation of spenders, too. In the past decade many middle-class Chinese have grown accustomed to borrowing money for everything from property to basic expenses. As a result, household debt is soaring and millions of people are defaulting on their loans.

In the second episode of a two-part series, we’re asking Chinese families, young professionals and business owners about their money troubles. This week, Jiehao Chen, The Economist’s China researcher, and James Miles, our China writer-at-large, explore why so many Chinese people are struggling with their repayments.