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Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economy has performed reasonably well over the last few months – better than much recent commentary would suggest. We expect activity growth to slow later this year as policy support fades. The CAP is our …
27th March 2024
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that economic output ended 2023 above the high it reached before growth spluttered in the middle of the year. With policy support still flowing, a further recovery is likely in the near-term. But we think momentum …
23rd January 2024
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economic recovery is continuing as the service sector makes up further lost ground. With policy support still flowing and consumers feeling less downbeat, further gains are likely in the near-term, but …
20th December 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows that the economy was still making headway last month, though it appears to have lost some steam. Downside risks continue to linger, particularly in the property sector. But we think policy support will keep the …
20th November 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth slowed in Q3. But the economy was regaining momentum at the end of the quarter, led by gains in the service sector. With stimulus still flowing, this recovery should continue over the coming quarters. …
25th October 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that, after a period of stagnation, China’s economy has returned to growth recently, with output finally surpassing its previous high in August. Policy support is being stepped up, which should underpin a further …
20th September 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that China’s economy regained some ground in July, following a contraction in June. But the big picture is that output has levelled off recently and that the economy could tip into a downward spiral unless policy …
29th August 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that China’s economy contracted in June as the service sector spluttered. Policy support means the economy should return to growth before long. But the pace of future expansion will be more modest than in the past. …
27th July 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that China’s economy stagnated in May as the tailwind from reopening fizzled out. We think officials will roll out sufficient policy support to keep the recovery alive but not enough to prevent subdued …
26th June 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows that, despite losing some momentum, the economic recovery was still making progress at the start of Q2. And we think there is still scope for further improvement, especially in the service sector. The CAP is our …
29th May 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows that the economy bounced back rapidly in Q1, with growth since the start of the pandemic now broadly back in line with the official GDP data. And while the recovery will slow, the strong start to the year has …
26th April 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows a sizeable rebound in services activity early in 2023. While it hasn’t completely run its course, the recovery will slow over the next few months. The CAP is our attempt to track the pace of growth in China without …
29th March 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that output was still depressed at the end of 2022, though it held up surprisingly well in the face of a huge reopening wave of infections. With the virus situation now improving, activity appears on course for a …
19th January 2023
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) reveals the extent of the economic damage being done by the zero-COVID policy in its final weeks. Hopes that its ending would lead to a rapid recovery have been dashed though, as the rapid spread of infections has caused …
22nd December 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that virus disruption led to a further decline in output in October. The combination of tightening COVID restrictions, voluntary isolation in the face of rising cases, problems in the property sector and falling …
23rd November 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that output declined in September by the most since the Omicron wave. The main culprit – renewed disruption from virus curbs – appears to have worsened further this month. We think the economy will contract this …
25th October 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that virus disruption and cooling exports caused the economy to stagnate in August. September was likely worse and there is little upside in the near-term. The CAP is our attempt to track the pace of growth in …
28th September 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economic rebound following the hit from lockdowns had petered out in July. And despite increased policy support, growing headwinds will continue to weigh on the economy during the remainder of the …
22nd August 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economic hit from lockdowns had largely reversed in June. But infection numbers are ticking up again. And even if another large-scale virus wave is avoided, problems in the property sector and headwinds to …
21st July 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that around half of the drop in output during the recent virus wave reversed in May. This recovery looks to have continued in June. But a lot of damage has already been done and we now doubt that China’s economy …
22nd June 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that all of China’s pandemic-era growth has been reversed by recent lockdowns, with output in April no higher than during 2019. Activity should start to rebound this month on the back of easing restrictions. But the …
26th May 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that lockdowns in Jilin and Shenzhen triggered an outright contraction in the economy in March, even before restrictions were tightened in Shanghai and disruption to domestic freight traffic intensified this month. …
27th April 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economy started the year on a stronger footing than it ended 2021. But these gains are already being derailed by China’s worst virus outbreak since Wuhan. The CAP is our attempt to track the pace of growth …
22nd March 2022
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that China’s economy was still struggling to regain momentum at the end of last year amid troubles in the property sector and recurrent COVID outbreaks which continue to depress service sector activity. We think …
24th January 2022
China’s economy started 2021 above its pre-pandemic path of output, thanks to stimulus and surging global export demand. Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economy is ending the year well below the pre-pandemic path as a boom in construction …
20th December 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows that growth ticked up last month as energy shortages eased and the service sector continued to recover from virus disruptions over the summer. But the rebound remains lacklustre, with output still well below June’s …
24th November 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows that output rebounded last month as the disruption to the service sector from virus outbreaks eased. But this wasn’t enough to prevent a sharp contraction last quarter. And even if services activity holds up better …
25th October 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that economic output dropped back sharply in August. The big hit to services activity from efforts to contain the Delta variant should mostly reverse this month. But the downturn in the property sector has further …
27th September 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that output dropped back further in July. This shouldn’t be dismissed as a temporary setback due to the recent virus outbreak. The main drag last month came from industry and construction, where the key headwinds …
24th August 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth accelerated in q/q terms last quarter but that output edged down in June on the back of softer industrial and construction activity. We think China’s COVID-19 rebound has reached its limits and that …
22nd July 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that output remained strong in May but didn’t rise much further, with slowing credit growth weighing on construction and China’s pandemic-induced export boom showing signs of peaking. We think output will, at best, …
23rd June 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that output rose further above its pre-virus trend last month thanks to the recent rebound in services and continued strength in industry and construction. We still think that activity will level off over the rest …
28th May 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth picked up last month as virus containment efforts were lifted. But this wasn’t enough to prevent a marked slowdown in q/q growth last quarter. With the export boom running out of road and the prop from …
26th April 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) shows a surge in year-on-year growth at the start of 2021. But the picture is more mixed after accounting for favourable base effects. Buoyant foreign demand boosted industry but travel restrictions held back services …
24th March 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth softened slightly at the end of 2020 but remained strong on the back of a further improvement in services. Domestic consumption should continue to pick-up this year as foreign demand drops back and …
22nd January 2021
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth remained robust last month thanks to a further pick-up in services and continued strength in construction and exports. We expect growth to remain above-trend for a while even as policy support is …
21st December 2020
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth continued to accelerate last month as service sector activity returned to its pre-virus path, while strong construction and exports continued to boost industry. On our estimates, China’s economy is now …
19th November 2020
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth continued to accelerate last month, thanks to policy stimulus, strong foreign demand and fewer constraints on services activity. On our estimates, China has fully recovered from the COVID-19 downturn and …
22nd October 2020
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth continued to accelerate last month. On our estimates, China is already back on its pre-virus growth path, far earlier than other major economies. There are still pockets of weakness in services but the …
23rd September 2020
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) estimate for China’s rate of growth in December is somewhat academic at this point but, for what it’s worth, it showed the economy holding up well. Measures to constrain the new coronavirus will have dealt a sizeable blow to …
28th January 2020
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth picked up last month. That’s a challenge to our expectations of a slowdown in growth in 2020. But the resilience of property construction still looks unsustainable. If this sector slows significantly so, …
20th December 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that the economy decelerated last month to its weakest pace of growth since May. Recent headwinds are domestic in origin, reflected in slower movements of freight and of travellers for business and leisure. Property …
26th November 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth edged up at the end of last quarter due to a rebound in industrial activity. But the prop from industry should be short-lived, and with the recent boom in property construction levelling off, growth …
24th October 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth remains resilient but has edged down slightly since the end of Q2. With property construction no longer accelerating and broader activity still under pressure, growth is likely to drop back further in …
23rd September 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth remained strong at the start of Q3. However, with external headwinds mounting and property development likely to moderate, economic activity looks set to slow before long . The CAP is our attempt to …
21st August 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) suggests that growth jumped at the end of last quarter. But data issues raise questions about the true extent of the pick-up. And mounting domestic and external headwinds offer reasons to remain downbeat on the outlook. The …
24th July 2019
Our China Activity Proxy (CAP) continues to suggest that economic growth has stabilised in recent months, with stronger construction activity helping to mask a slowdown in other sectors. But with headwinds from US tariffs still likely to intensify later …
26th June 2019