Zichun Huang

Zichun Huang joined Capital Economics in May 2022 and she is a China Economist on our China service. She previously worked as an investment associate at an asset manager in Singapore and as a research fellow in Singapore Management University. She has a PhD degree in Economics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and a bachelor’s degree in Financial Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

China Rapid Response

China GDP (Q1) & Activity (Mar. 2024)

Stronger-than-expected official GDP figures indicate that China’s economy gained momentum in Q1, thanks to policy support. But monthly activity data suggest that this policy-driven recovery is shaky...

16th April 2024 2 mins read

China Rapid Response

China Merchandise Trade (Mar. 2024)

Despite a larger-than-expected y/y fall in export values, export volumes climbed to record highs. Nonetheless, we still think export volumes will grow more slowly this year than they did in 2023...

12th April 2024 3 mins read

China Rapid Response

China Consumer & Producer Prices (Mar. 2024)

CPI inflation rose less than expected in March but is still trending upwards. We think an easing of food price deflation and the ongoing modest economic recovery will support a slow reflation in the...

11th April 2024 2 mins read

China Economics Weekly

Policy support for car sales won’t ease trade tensions

The PBOC’s scrapping of the regulatory minimum down payment for car loans may help boost vehicle demand in the short run. But it won’t be enough to prevent a further increase in car exports, so...

5th April 2024 7 mins read

China Rapid Response

China PMIs (Mar. 2024)

Sizeable rises in the PMIs in March are consistent with improved economic momentum and/or the easing of sentiment effects that have weighed on the surveys recently. Either way, they add to wider...

1st April 2024 3 mins read

China Economics Weekly

President Xi courts foreign firms

President Xi has taken some steps to reassure foreign firms, many of whom remain keen to invest in China. But his wider agenda conflicts with establishing a level playing field for foreign firms. And...

28th March 2024 6 mins read

China Economic Outlook

Prop from stimulus to be short-lived

China’s economy has fared better recently and policy support is likely to remain a near-term prop to growth. But we remain less sanguine about the medium-term outlook.

27th March 2024 15 mins read

China Rapid Response

China Activity & Spending (Jan. & Feb. 2024)

China’s economy continued to show some improvement at the start of the year thanks to strength in exports and fiscal stimulus, even as consumer spending made little headway. We expect the recovery to...

18th March 2024 3 mins read

China Economics Weekly

Equipment investment push may aggravate imbalances

Chinese policymakers want firms to increase equipment investment by 25% over the coming four years. If achieved, that would provide a temporary boost to domestic demand and GDP growth. But the lasting...

15th March 2024 6 mins read

China Rapid Response

China Consumer & Producer Prices (Feb. 2024)

CPI inflation turned positive last month for the first time since September, thanks to temporary factors such as the volatility in food and tourism prices around Lunar New Year. But persistent...

11th March 2024 2 mins read

China Economics Weekly

New productive buzzwords

China’s leadership is increasingly talking about “New Productive Forces” as the key to the country’s future economic success – harnessing them was the first Major Task for 2024 in the government Work...

8th March 2024 7 mins read

China Rapid Response

China Merchandise Trade (Jan. & Feb. 2024)

China’s export values rose y/y at the fastest rate since May, with export volumes reaching a record high. We doubt the sustainability of this strength, however, since exporters now have more limited...

7th March 2024 2 mins read

China Economics Focus

China’s economic roadmap for 2024

The policy agenda laid out at the National People’s Congress today is a reasonably pro-growth one. The new fiscal plans are supportive, monetary policy continues to have an easing bias, and the...

5th March 2024 15 mins read

China Rapid Response

China PMIs (Feb. 2024)

The PMIs are consistent with activity holding steady in February, at least on paper. Although the survey readings remain below historical averages, this is likely distorted by sentiment effects --...

1st March 2024 2 mins read

China Chart Pack

China Chart Pack (Feb. 2024)

China’s economy has regained some strength recently. We expect this to continue over the coming months, on the back of support from fiscal policy and a further pick-up in household spending. But with...

29th February 2024 1 min read

China Economics Weekly

New developer financing scheme shows promise

The record 25bp cut to the 5Y Loan Prime Rate, the benchmark for price mortgages, captured the headlines this week. But of greater importance to China's property sector is the new "real estate...

23rd February 2024 6 mins read