Growth jitters, tech woes, Huarong lifeline

There was plenty for China watchers to digest during the past week. Weak data for July added to growth fears, with virus disruptions and tighter credit conditions meaning that worse is still to come. Meanwhile, a flurry of regulatory action and signs of a mounting campaign to reduce inequality further clouded the outlook for China’s big tech firms, and productivity growth more generally. On a more positive note, officials made some headway in defusing financial risks.