China Economics Weekly Still struggling to curb dependence on China Today’s trade data underscore again the extent to which global demand is supporting China’s economy, and how little impact the trade restrictions of recent years have had. China’s export volumes have... 7th June 2024 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly Fiscal tailwinds to return, export rush lifts freight rates Today’s PMIs suggest that China’s rebound is faltering. That appears to reflect a drying up of fiscal support after the initial surge at the beginning of the year. There’s more in the pipeline though... 31st May 2024 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Bank deposit exodus, chip self-sufficiency The recent slowdown in deposit growth does not signal a recovery in risk appetite among firms and households. On the contrary, it is being driven by their reluctance to borrow and their preference for... 24th May 2024 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Property support, imbalances growing, tariff retaliation The property support measures outlined today are significant. If local governments and SOEs take advantage of the funding on offer to buy unsold inventory from developers, sales would rise by around... 17th May 2024 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Targeted regulations won’t fix structural overcapacity With the EU and US both apparently moving closer to imposing new trade restrictions on EVs and possibly on other "new energy" products from China, China's state media this week made a concerted effort... 10th May 2024 · 7 mins read
China Economics Weekly Developer financing still weak, green loans surge The continued weakness of credit demand is holding back China's economic recovery. While lending to manufacturers continues to be strong – particularly for those engaged in green technology production... 3rd May 2024 · 7 mins read
China Economics Weekly PBOC bond trading, LGFV pullback The PBOC has clarified that its plans to start trading government bonds are aimed at managing interest rate risk, not conducting QE. This reinforces our sense that large-scale monetary easing remains... 26th April 2024 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly Service sector picking up, overcapacity worsening The GDP breakdown suggests that the acceleration in growth last quarter was driven by the service sector, although the parts most dependent on consumer spending fared less well. And despite the recent... 19th April 2024 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly PBOC faces difficult choice as dollar strengthens The PBOC’s support of the renminbi against a strengthening dollar is resulting in a trade-weighted appreciation of the currency. This risks eroding Chinese export competitiveness and has a... 12th April 2024 · 7 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 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 Economics Weekly Policy support a temporary prop to construction Local government financing vehicles are ramping up land purchases to build more public housing, while developers are being given more financing to accelerate work on unfinished projects. This may... 22nd March 2024 · 4 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 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 Economics Weekly What to watch at the National People’s Congress The annual meeting of China’s parliament will open on Tuesday with a panoply of speeches and reports. Here’s what to focus on. 1st March 2024 · 6 mins 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
