China Economics Weekly Global views are shifting in China’s favour Public opinion favours China over the US in most major economies, according to survey data published by the Pew Research Center this week. That includes several countries that we classify as... 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly AI fracturing is broadening out Reports that China's Ministry of Commerce has been looking into restricting foreign access to top Chinese AI models are yet another sign that the bifurcation of US and Chinese AI stacks is moving... 10th July 2026 · 8 mins read
China Economics Weekly US-China AI competition continues to heat up This week’s reversal of US export controls on Anthropic’s most powerful AI models appears to have been partly motivated by the recent release of GLM-5.2, a highly competitive alternative that is... 3rd July 2026 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly China relaxing restrictions on refined fuel exports China's government will reportedly ease its restrictions on refined fuel exports further next month. That should be reflected in increased refinery output, but it will only support China's crude oil... 26th June 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly PBOC to narrow rate corridor, no signs of healthier credit The PBOC has announced plans to increase its control over overnight interest rates, marking another step in its efforts to adopt a more orthodox policy making approach. Still, the PBOC's multiple... 19th June 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly The PBOC can’t boost household credit demand Slowing credit growth in China is yet another sign of the dwindling consumption appetite of households. Bank lending to households has been contracting outright in recent months, even though liquidity... 12th June 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Industrial policy boosting exports… According to a new OECD report, the subsidies that Chinese firms have received over the past two decades explain almost 60% of their gains in global export market share. But, while China's industrial... 5th June 2026 · 7 mins read
China Economics Weekly Iran war and AI boom lift industrial profits Growth in China’s industrial profits accelerated in April, with firms benefitting from higher output prices while mitigating the impact of higher input costs by tapping inventories. The sectors that... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly US tariffs on China set to rise again The Trump administration has signalled that it still intends to impose new Section 301 duties on China to replace the IEEPA tariffs that were struck down by the Supreme Court. This looks set to more... 22nd May 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Don’t take a deal at face value, AI investment ramps up A key outcome of President Trump’s previous trip to China in 2017 was a package of “trade and investment deals” that the White House valued at more than $250bn. But the bulk of these deals never... 15th May 2026 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly Trump-Xi summit will buy time, not resolve differences Next week's summit between Xi and Trump seems unlikely to deliver much beyond a continuation of the existing truce, although a shift in US language on Taiwan in exchange for pressure on Iran or large... 8th May 2026 · 8 mins read
China Economics Weekly Some signs of easing manufacturing overcapacity The protection that Chinese firms are receiving from high global energy prices, alongside surging overseas chip demand, have pushed up profit margins in Chinese industry and resulted in a slight... 1st May 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Domestic impact of higher oil prices remains limited The war in Iran seems to have had limited impact on China's economy so far. The government has insulated end-users from much of the price shock - indeed, it cut retail prices this week - and the... 24th April 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Export dependence deepens, labour market softens The sectoral breakdown of GDP released today shows that industry outperformed last quarter, with much of the Q1 acceleration driven by strong external demand. But industry is less labour intensive... 17th April 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly ASEAN shifting closer to China, EV demand soaring New survey data suggests that China's geopolitical influence among ASEAN economies has increased since last year amid concern over the Trump Administration's tariffs and foreign policies. Meanwhile, a... 10th April 2026 · 8 mins read
China Economics Weekly Chinese AI spreading rapidly, both overseas and at home Although Chinese AI models still lag behind their US rivals in raw intelligence, they are nonetheless rapidly gaining global market share by being more cost-effective. And early signs suggest that... 2nd April 2026 · 6 mins read
