China Economics Weekly Inflation fears overdone, more policy tweaks Chinese consumers appear to have become more worried about inflation recently. But these concerns may reflect a broader sense of unease among households in response to a weakening labour market rather... 7th September 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Trade war or cold war? The end of the summer in Beijing has brought with it a hardening of views on the trade dispute with the US. Increasingly, tariffs are being seen not as negotiating ploys to win run-of-the-mill... 31st August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly National team falls flat, pork jitters, policy “irrigation” The benchmark Shanghai Composite equity index this week returned to the low point reached in the equity collapse of early 2016. Official efforts to shore up the market have proved predictably... 24th August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Property prices defy curbs, PBOC props up the RMB One bright spot in the generally downbeat economic data released this week was a further acceleration in property sales and prices last month. The pick-up was driven by China’s smaller cities, where... 17th August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Cuts to official policy rates are coming soon Market interbank rates have now converged with those offered by the People’s Bank in its lending operations. We think the central bank will soon start cutting these official policy rates in order to... 10th August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Renminbi decline will soften tariff blow The People’s Bank is signalling increasing discomfort with the recent pace of renminbi declines, including with a new restriction on forward currency transactions today. But the depreciation so far in... 3rd August 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly More easing coming, China still in US crosshairs Policy easing efforts were expanded this week. Fiscal loosening was given the green light. The People’s Bank adopted a more proactive approach to ensuring that its liquidity injections translate into... 27th July 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly PBOC FX policy becoming more hands-on again The People’s Bank appears to be leaning against downward market pressure on the renminbi. But the depreciation it has allowed so far will already provide a cushion for China’s exporters as they face... 20th July 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Case for policy easing continuing to build The release of disappointing credit data a month ago catalysed a deterioration in sentiment about China’s economy. Today’s even weaker figures will only add to those concerns, with the early signs... 13th July 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Letting go of equities, holding the renminbi Chinese policymakers are intervening to stem market declines, but unevenly: they appear much more concerned about the currency than about equities. Meanwhile, worries about the domestic outlook... 6th July 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly Market slide stemmed, property strained, tariffs loom A promise of support from the People’s Bank helped stem the slide in both the renminbi and Shanghai equities today. If declines resume next week, we would expect more forceful intervention to support... 29th June 2018 · 1 min read
China Economics Weekly RRR cut imminent, investment restrictions coming Escalating trade tensions with the US have led the news abroad, but in China much of the focus over the past week has been on the outlook for the domestic economy and policy. An RRR cut appears... 22nd June 2018 · 1 min read