China Economics Update Signs of recovery in Hong Kong, but risks to downside Hong Kong’s economy grew at its fastest pace in nearly two years in Q4, thanks mainly to a pick up in export growth. Prospects for the economy depend largely on the outlook for global demand. As such... 27th February 2013 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Property prices in Emerging Asia - an update Property prices look significantly overvalued in Hong Kong and parts of Taiwan. As such, while the risk of a slump in exports bringing recession in these trade-oriented economies has subsided recently... 11th February 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Stirring property sector reawakens over-investment fears Property construction in China still needs to slow further to return the real estate sector to a sustainable path. Accordingly, the recent pick-up in investment by developers should not be welcomed... 9th January 2013 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hong Kong's low unemployment no support for domestic demand Hong Kong’s unemployment rate remains low despite the weak economy, as employers have responded to falling demand by cutting wage growth. The result has been a slowdown in consumption. Even if... 18th December 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update The US fiscal cliff: implications for Asia The nightmare scenario of the US Congress failing to reach a deal on the fiscal cliff would see growth in Asia’s most trade-dependent countries slow by up to 1 percentage point in 2013. 17th December 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hong Kong property still heading for a crash The Hong Kong government has introduced a number of measures to improve housing affordability. We don’t believe these measures will have their intended effect, and that in the short-term property... 11th September 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hong Kong economy unlikely to rebound anytime soon Hong Kong’s economy contracted in Q2. With global growth set to disappoint over the next couple of years, we expect Hong Kong’s trade-dependent economy to continue to struggle in the coming quarters. 10th August 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update How long will the Hong Kong peg last? A provocative new paper by Joseph Yam, the former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, calling for the territory to review its currency peg to the US dollar has once again raised questions over... 13th June 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Update How bad were the Q1 data for emerging Asia? Most of Asia reported weak GDP growth in the first quarter of this year, due mainly to weak export demand. The crisis in the euro-zone is likely to weigh heavily on Asia this year. However, the... 23rd May 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hong Kong falters in Q1 Hong Kong’s economy had a weak start to the year, expanding in Q1 at the same tepid pace as in Q4 and confounding hopes that growth would accelerate. We think growth will probably pick up over the... 11th May 2012 · 1 min read
Asia Economic Outlook Asia well placed to withstand weaker global growth Asia is well placed to withstand the impact of any major shocks to the global economy. The health of economic fundamentals and policymakers’ room for stimulus should enable the region to grow by just... 19th April 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Key challenges await Hong Kong’s new chief executive Regardless of which candidate wins the election on Sunday, the new chief executive will face a series of challenges as Hong Kong grapples with how best to deal with slowing exports, rising inequality... 19th March 2012 · 1 min read
Global Economics Focus How well will growth in emerging economies hold up? Emerging Asia and Latin America should continue to grow relatively fast even if the euro-zone slides into prolonged recession, as long as the US avoids the same fate. The outlook for emerging Europe... 16th February 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update Hong Kong growth to remain weak despite expansionary budget Hong Kong’s economy remained weak in the fourth quarter. Despite an expansionary budget, falling inflation, and the prospect of continued strong spending by Chinese tourists, Hong Kong’s trade... 1st February 2012 · 1 min read
China Economics Update How vulnerable is Asia to a euro-zone banking crisis? The impact on emerging Asia of a fall in lending by euro-zone banks to the region would be small. However, Asia would be vulnerable if the crisis in the euro-zone caused global credit markets to... 15th December 2011 · 1 min read
China Chart Pack Policy starts to turn Policymakers started talking in late October of the need for “fine-tuning”. There is now mounting evidence that policy has begun to shift direction. The People’s Bank lowered the yield on one-year... 21st November 2011 · 1 min read