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
China Economics Weekly Economic hit from Iran War has been limited so far Early evidence supports our view that China’s economy will be resilient to higher global energy prices. Regulators have moved to shield most firms and households from the brunt of the increase in... 27th March 2026 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Fewer rate cuts but fiscal easing won’t come to the rescue China's central bank left the loan prime rates on hold today. With higher oil prices set to keep the economy out of deflationary territory, we're now only expecting the central bank to deliver one... 20th March 2026 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly China bans fuel exports to avert shortages While China can’t avoid paying higher prices for imported crude, as a net exporter of refined petroleum products it can turn to trade barriers to shield itself from the soaring mark-up on these... 13th March 2026 · 8 mins read
China Economics Weekly NPC Press Conference: a little domestic rebalancing… Today's press conference for the heads of senior economic and financial ministries made clear that, while the leadership is looking to drive some degree of domestic rebalancing towards consumption... 6th March 2026 · 7 mins read
China Economics Weekly NPC and Five-Year Plan: What to watch China's leadership will lay out its economic policy agenda for this year, as well as its goals for the 15th Five Year Plan period (2026-30), at the National People's Congress which kicks off on... 27th February 2026 · 7 mins read
China Economics Weekly Economy to plod along in the Year of the Horse Tuesday marked the first day of the Year of the Horse. Horse years are traditionally seen as years of energy and forward momentum but, with policymakers unlikely to loosen the reins much on fiscal... 20th February 2026 · 6 mins read
China Economics Weekly China unlikely to accelerate sales of dollar assets Chinese regulators have reportedly asked banks to curb their exposure to US Treasuries. While Chinese banks' holdings of dollar-denominated bonds have decreased over the past year, they've largely... 13th February 2026 · 4 mins read
