Category: China

Relaxing Financial Controls the Chinese Way

It is as if Hamlet, the confused prince of Denmark, has taken up residence in Beijing.  The famed-prince wrestled with “seeming” and “being”.  So are Chinese officials.  They seem to be relaxing their control financial markets, but are they really?  Are they tolerating market forces because they approve what they are doing, such as driving interest rates down or weakening the yuan?  If so what happens when the markets do something for which they don’t approve?

China’s Economic Growth Falls to the Policymakers

The pattern of growth that drove the Chinese economic miracle has broadly run its course. China’s future prosperity now rests on the shoulders of its policymakers. Will they be able to steer the Chinese economy to prosperity, or will China be bogged down in the middle-income trap? Broadly speaking, there are three paths the Chinese economy can go down.

How did China’s Productivity Find a Lower Gear?

China’s substantive economic slowdown following the 2008–09 global financial crisis has added fuel to the long-running debate over the sustainability of China’s growth model. Despite the government’s unprecedented stimulus package, the official statistics — though often accused of exaggerating real performance, especially in times of crisis — show that China nearly halved its pace of growth, from 13.5 percent per annum in 2005–07 to about 7 percent per annum in 2013–15.

Here is Your China Update

This is the period in the monthly cycle that China releases most of its high frequency data.  The process is well under way.  Over the weekend, China reported its reserve figures that suggested capital outflows have slowed.

Earlier today, China reported its largest trade surplus (in dollars and yuan) since January. 

With the help of a lending spree, Chinese officials have managed, apparently, to stabilize the economy.  Data due out over the coming days is likely to confirm this signal. 

How did China Accumulate so much Corporate Debt?

Since the mid-2000s, Chinese corporate debt has risen sharply as a proportion of GDP — from around 100 percent to 164 percent in 2015. By comparison, this ratio is 67 percent in the United States and 103 percent in Japan. The rapid build-up of debt has prompted concerns regarding China’s financial and macroeconomic stability.

Excess Industrial Capacity was not Part of China’s Plan

Americans have a saying about an 800-pound gorilla in a room.  It refers to a person or organization so powerful that it can act unilaterally.  The British have an expression about an elephant in a room.  It refers to a “fact” or problem that is not being addressed. 

Stay on Target: China’s Slower Growth

Assuming no surprises in the second half of the year, China’s growth in 2016 will remain near the target of 6.5 percent reflecting structural transition in the mainland, secular stagnation in the West and post-Brexit tensions globally.

In mid-July, China’s second-quarter GDP figures beat estimates with a 6.7 percent expansion, thanks to support by a slate of stimulus measures from the government and the central bank.

Can President Xi’s Administration Wipe Out Poverty?

China has had remarkable success in alleviating poverty. According to World Bank statistics, over the past several decades China has accounted for more than 70 percent of reductions in global poverty. The poverty-stricken population in China has plunged from 770 million people in 1978 — the year before economic reforms began — to 55.8 million in 2015. In addition, the Human Development Index (HDI) for China has improved by 43 percent between 1990 and 2013, compared to an improvement of 17.6 percent globally.

For China, Investment is not a Two-Way Street

China is unusual in that it is a developing country that has emerged as a major investor. China itself is an important destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), and opening to the outside world has been an important part of its reform program since 1978. However, China’s policy is to steer FDI to particular sectors.

Economic Impact from China’s Flooding Grows

After weeks of torrential rain across central and southern China, the mainland has suffered from a series of devastating floods. As the total price tag has soared, the impact will be felt in economic growth.

By mid-July, almost 240 people had lost their lives and nearly 100 were missing, as China’s floods had been compounded by Typhoon Nepartak and a violent tornado. Torrential rains affected 33 million people in 28 provinces, submerging huge areas of cropland.