China Economics Update The PBOC’s inflation dilemma The People’s Bank is powerless to stop consumer price inflation jumping above its target without undermining its broader mandate to support growth and employment. Given this trade-off we expect the... 11th November 2019 · 2 mins read
China Economics Update PBOC turning more proactive After keeping interbank rates broadly stable for most of this year, the People’s Bank (PBOC) is starting to take more direct steps to push down borrowing costs. We think this could mark the beginning... 5th November 2019 · 2 mins read
China Economics Update Construction strength offset by industry weakness The detailed breakdown of China’s Q3 GDP data released today shows that a slowdown in industry overshadowed strength in the construction sector. The headwinds to the construction sector should only... 21st October 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Easing yet to come The newly-revamped Loan Prime Rate (LPR), the reference point against which banks now price loans, was unchanged in October. This will only increase pressure on the PBOC to ease funding costs for... 21st October 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update US and China no closer to a lasting resolution The US is attempting to pluck low-hanging fruit first, rather than hold out for a more complete trade deal with China. But reaching an agreement on the more contentious structural issues remains an... 14th October 2019 · 4 mins read
China Economics Update Another small step towards lower rates The newly-revamped Loan Prime Rate (LPR), the reference point against which banks now price loans, came in slightly lower for September. We think that more decisive cuts will materialize before long. 20th September 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Monetary policy has lost its oomph The ability of monetary easing to stimulate credit growth in China has diminished and we think this will lead the People’s Bank to pull down interbank rates further than most anticipate. But even this... 19th September 2019 · 4 mins read
China Economics Update Swine fever inflation shock to worsen Intervention by China’s government to halt the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) and mitigate its impact on pork prices is proving ineffective. Inflation will next year rise above the government’s... 12th September 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Hong Kong’s banks can weather the storm Early-warning indicators suggest that Hong Kong’s banking system is primed for a crisis. And banks face multiple shocks from an economic recession, a housing market correction and capital outflows... 10th September 2019 · 5 mins read
China Economics Update RRR reduction to be followed by PBOC rate cuts The PBOC will release a portion of the reserves commercial banks’ hold at the central bank. While this will pull down interbank rates in the short run, the PBOC will need to cut its policy rate to... 6th September 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Transhipments and weaker RMB are blunting US tariffs China’s share of global exports has increased over the past year, despite US tariffs. Renminbi depreciation and the transhipments of goods to the US via neighbouring countries can take much of the... 29th August 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update US tariffs strengthen the case for easing, weaker RMB With President Trump adding yet more US tariffs to the pipeline, the impact on China’s economy is starting to add up. With the drag on GDP growth set to rise to nearly one percentage point before long... 26th August 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update China focuses its fire in retaliation The tariffs announced today by China’s government are a departure from previous rounds of retaliation: they focus almost entirely on further raising tariffs on products that have already been targeted... 23rd August 2019 · 3 mins read
China Economics Update Loan Prime Rate (Aug.) The newly revamped Loan Prime Rate (LPR), intended to replace the traditional benchmark lending rate as the reference point against which banks price loans, was launched today. The one-year LPR was... 20th August 2019 · 2 mins read
China Economics Update Interest rate reform with a side of policy easing A long-awaited shake-up of how China’s banks price loans should in time give policymakers much finer control of bank lending rates and could open the door to a quasi-rate cut as soon as tomorrow. But... 19th August 2019 · 4 mins read
China Economics Update Protests to push Hong Kong into a recession Disruptions from the ongoing protests look set to pull down Hong Kong’s GDP growth to its lowest since the global financial crisis this quarter and there is a growing risk of an even worse outcome if... 14th August 2019 · 4 mins read