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☆ China's policy to boost demand by $700 billion will have a 'bigger and bigger' impact, official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's latest policy to boost demand will soon have a greater effect on growth, a top official at the economic planning agency told reporters Thursday. "We believe this work will achieve bigger and bigger results," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He noted that equipment upgrades account for 9% to 10% of total GDP. 'Strong' central government fiscal supportIn terms of fiscal funding for those upgrades, Zhao said the central government would provide "strong support." Part of the equipment upgrade and consumer trade-in policy also focuses on improving standards for the kinds of products that can be used.

Persons: That's, Zhao Chenxin, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Zhao, Bruce Pang, Fu Jinling, Fu, Francoise Huang, We're, JLL's Pang, Shan Zhongde Organizations: Visual China, Getty, BEIJING, National Development, Reform Commission, CNBC, Analysts, People's Bank of, Allianz Trade, Ministry of Industry, Information Technology, Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Commerce, State Administration, Market, China's Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Global Locations: Qingzhou, Weifang City, Shandong Province, China, oversupply, Beijing, JLL, People's Bank of China

☆ China's consumer prices dip back into decline amid limp demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, Nov 9 (Reuters) - China's consumer prices swung back into contraction and factory-gate deflation persisted in October as domestic demand struggled, weighing on the outlook for any broader-based recovery in the world's second-largest economy. The headline figure was dragged by a further slump in pork prices, down 30.1%, speeding up from a 22% slide in September, amid an oversupply of pigs and weak demand. Consumer prices slipped into deflation in July and returned to positive territory in August but were flat in September. "The data shows combating persistent disinflation amid weak demand remains a challenge for Chinese policymakers," said Bruce Pang, chief economist at Jones Lang Lasalle. "We expect China's economy to grow by 5.0% in 2023, in accordance with the target set by authorities, followed by 4.0% growth in 2024 and 2025," said Moody's on Thursday.

Persons: China's, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Gao, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Jones, Authorities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, West

☆ China October factory surveys disappoint, weigh on Q4 momentum
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI fell to 49.5 in October from 50.6 in September, marking the first contraction since July and missing analysts' forecasts of 50.8 by a large margin. A slowdown in Chinese manufacturing will also soften China's imports. Following the release of the gloomy data, China shares (.SSEC) eased 0.15%, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) fell 0.75%. PMI surveys track business conditions and offer the first monthly snapshot of China's economic performance. New export orders for Chinese manufactured goods have shrunk for four consecutive months amid a relatively sluggish global economic climate.

Persons: China's, Hong, HSI, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Goldman Sachs, Ellen Zhang, Ryan Woo, Kim Coghill, Lincoln Organizations: P Global, PMI, Manufacturers, London Metal Exchange, Jones, Goldman, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Japan, South Korea, China, Guangzhou

☆ Can China's economy reverse a sluggish 2023 in the last quarter? Here's what to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In 2020, Beijing tried to rein in real estate developers' high reliance on debt with new restrictions on financing. "The decline in the real estate sector was the result of the government's intentional measures to correct the bubbles in the market," Yao said. But he and other economists mostly don't expect real estate to return to significant growth in the future. Morgan StanleyThis week, worries about China's real estate sector persisted with highly indebted Evergrande running into more liquidity problems — along with reports Wednesday its chairman has been put under surveillance. This month, weekly data from Nomura indicate the real estate sales slump has moderated.

Persons: Stringer, Yao Yang, Yao, Dan Wang, Morgan Stanley, Clifford Lau, William Blair, China's, Robin Xing, there's, Bruce Pang, Pang doesn't Organizations: Afp, Getty, National School of Development, Peking University, Hang, China Center for Economic Research, Communist Party, Financial Work, Communist Party of, Nomura, CNBC Locations: Chongqing, China, BEIJING, Covid, Beijing, Shanghai, Hang Seng China, Communist Party of China, JLL

☆ China's industrial profits extend slump for Jan-Aug, but pace of downturn eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NBS statistician Yu Weining said in an accompanying statement that "a series of policies to promote macroeconomic recovery" last month's underpinned earnings. The breakdown in NBS data indicated that there was still some way to go for a robust recovery in overall earnings growth. Profits at state-owned firms slid 3.8% in first eight months, and fell 1.3% for foreign firms while private-sector companies saw earnings shrink 6.1%, the data showed. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.75 million) from their main operations. Reporting by Qiaoyi Li and Ryan Woo and Beijing newsroom Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Yu Weining, Qiaoyi Li, Ryan Woo, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Jones, NBS, Thomson Locations: Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China, Rights BEIJING, Beijing

But analysts say more policy support is needed to shore up consumer demand in the world's second-biggest economy, with a labour market recovery slowing and household income expectations uncertain. "In general the inflation (rate) still points to weak demand and requires more policy support for the foreseeable future." DEFLATION PRESSURESCompared with the previous month, CPI rose 0.3%, picking up from 0.2% in July, the statistics bureau said. Pork prices rose 11.4% month-on-month, versus no change in July, due to the impact of extreme weather in some areas. Factory-gate deflation moderated in August due to improving demand for some industrial products and rising international crude oil prices, the statistics bureau said.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Zhou Hao, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Premier Li Qiang, Kevin Yao, Joe Cash, Sam Holmes, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters, Guotai, ANZ, Jones, Premier, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, Ukraine

However, in a hopeful sign for growth, conditions did not materially worsen even though the survey showed factories under persistent pressure. China's major manufacturing rivals in the region Japan and South Korea also reported sharp declines in output on Thursday. "It's too early to tell, but today's print suggests that a sequential uptick in growth activity in the third quarter could still be possible," said Louise Loo, senior economist with Oxford Economics. Policymakers remain under pressure to boost domestic demand as the global economy continues to slow. Going forward, "the actual implementation and effectiveness of policy support will be the key indicator to watch," he added.

Persons: It's, Louise Loo, Pan Gongsheng, Frederic Neumann, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Joe Cash, Qiaoyi Li, Ellen Zhang, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, PMI, Oxford Economics, Reuters, People's Bank of, Global Research Asia, HSBC, Jones, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, Rights BEIJING, Japan, South Korea, People's Bank of China, United States, Europe, Asia

Asian stocks were down and the dollar held firm after the weak Chinese data and latest policy easing measures. Investment in the property sector tumbled 8.5% year-on-year in January-July, after shrinking 7.9% in January-June, extending its fall for the 17th consecutive month. Demand for the property sector, once a pillar of economic growth, has remained weak in recent weeks. The nationwide survey-based jobless rate climbed slightly to 5.3% from 5.2% in June. After the youth jobless rate rose to record high of 21.3% in June, NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said at Tuesday's press conference the bureau will suspend publishing the survey-based jobless rate for the 16-24 years old from August, adding China will further improve its employment statistics.

Persons: Julian Evans, Pritchard, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Fu Linghui, Albee Zhang, Liangping Gao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Retail, Capital Economics, Jones, Investment, Communist Party, NBS, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China

☆ China just unleashed broad stimulus measures to fire up the economy — but analysts think these have failed to live up to expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Monday, China released a series of plans to boost household consumption. However, the stimulus measures have failed to live up to expectations, said Citi analyst Wenyu Yao, Australian Financial Review reported Monday. The state planner's strategy followed a meeting of the country's top leaders last week during which they pledged to boost stimulus measures as the economy faces a "tortuous" recovery, according to Insider's translation of the official readout. The Shanghai Composite closed 0.5% higher at 3,291.04 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index closed 0.7% higher at 20,045.15. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, which tracks tech stocks listed in Hong Kong, closed 1.1% higher at 6,886.09.

Persons: Wenyu Yao, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Xi Jinping, Shenzhen —, Nomura, hasn't, Hong Organizations: Service, Citi, Australian Financial, Jones, Bloomberg, Analysts, Shanghai, PMI, Seng China Enterprises Index Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Greater China, Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong

☆ China's central bank says consumer prices will likely drop in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jason Lee | ReutersBEIJING – China's consumer prices will likely decline in July before recovering, Liu Guoqiang, deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, told reporters Friday. Official measures of consumer prices have barely changed in the last several months amid tepid demand, in contrast to high inflation in the U.S. and Europe. watch nowThe central bank said in April consumer prices would likely see a "U-shaped" recovery this year. He described the real estate market as "stable" overall, but said that "some real estate companies' long-accumulated risks require a period of time to gradually absorb." He said that was out of "consideration of deep changes in the relationship between supply and demand in [China's] real estate market."

Persons: Jason Lee, Liu Guoqiang, Liu, Bruce Pang, Zou Lan, Zou Organizations: People's Bank of China, Reuters, People's Bank of Locations: Beijing, China, Reuters BEIJING, People's Bank of China, U.S, Europe, JLL

BEIJING, July 10 (Reuters) - China on Monday called on the U.S. to take "practical action" in response to its "major concerns" about sanctions on Chinese firms, after U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrapped up more than 10 hours of meetings with senior officials in Beijing. Yellen came to Beijing seeking to ease tensions between the world's two superpowers, and while there was no breakthrough, both sides described their talks as "productive" and agreed to keep channels open "at all levels" for talks on the economy. The United States has imposed sanctions on some companies for using forced labour in the far-western region of Xinjiang. The ministry also said China believed its development was an opportunity rather than a risk to the U.S. and that "strengthening cooperation between China and the United States is a realistic need and the correct choice of the two countries." Reporting by Joe Cash and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Economic Cooperation, United, Jones, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Asia, San Francisco, Xinjiang, United States, Hong Kong

☆ China's factory gate prices fall at fastest pace in 7 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIJING, July 10 (Reuters) - China's factory-gate prices fell at the fastest pace in seven-and-a-half years in June, while consumer inflation was at its slowest since 2021, adding to the case for policymakers to use more stimulus to revive sluggish demand. The consumer price index (CPI) was unchanged year-on-year, compared with the 0.2% gain seen in May, driven by a faster fall in pork prices. Beijing has set a target for average consumer inflation in 2023 of about 3%. China last month cut policy rates to boost liquidity and vowed to take measures to promote household consumption. Reuters GraphicsFor producer prices, the biggest year-on-year declines were seen in energy, metals and chemicals as domestic and foreign demand weakened.

Persons: Bruce Pang, Jones Lang Lasalle, Pang, Hu Yuexiao, COVID, Liangping Gao, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Capital Economics, Reuters Graphics, PPI, Jones, Shanghai Securities, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China

The non-manufacturing PMI fell to 53.2 from 54.50 in May, indicating a slowdown in service sector activity and construction. Nomura has been the most bearish, cutting its forecast for growth in China's gross domestic product (GDP) this year to 5.1% from 5.5%. "This indicates the urgent need for a more powerful package of policy measures... to ensure the annual growth targets," he added. The government has set a modest GDP growth target of about 5% for this year after badly missing its 2022 goal. China's cabinet this month pledged to promote a sustained economic recovery "in a timely manner".

Persons: Rob Carnell, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Nomura, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Li Qiang, ING's Carnell, Joe Cash, Sam Holmes Organizations: . Services, National Bureau, Statistics, ING, Capital Economics, PMI, Jones, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Asia, Pacific, Tianjin, Beijing

☆ China cuts lending benchmarks to revive slowing demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/FILE PHOTOSHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, June 20 (Reuters) - China cut its key lending benchmarks on Tuesday, the first such reductions in 10 months as authorities seek to shore up a slowing economic recovery, although concerns about the property market meant the easing was not as large as expected. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was lowered by 10 basis points to 3.55%, while the five-year LPR was cut by the same margin to 4.20%. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) lowered short- and medium-term policy rates last week. "There is no need to roll out all policy measures all at once." Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Xing Zhaopeng, Xing, China's, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Kripa Jayaram, Sam Holmes Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Capital Economics, Reuters, Mainland Properties, People's Bank of China, ANZ, Jones, Graphics, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, outpacing

Retail sales - a key gauge of consumer confidence - rose 12.7%, missing forecasts of 13.6% growth and slowing from April's 18.4%. Data ranging from factory surveys and trade to loan growth and home sales have shown signs of weakness for the world's second-biggest economy. China's stock markets rose after the rates cut, with the benchmark CSI 300 gaining 0.6% in early trade, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index climbed 1.2%. The sector is expected to grapple with "persistent weakness" for years, dragging on economic growth, Goldman Sachs analysts said this week. The country's biggest banks recently cut their deposit rates to ease pressure on profit margins and encourage savers to spend more.

Persons: China's, Zhiwei Zhang, Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Pang, Hong, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Yi, Goldman Sachs, Albee Zhang, Sam Holmes Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics, Jones, CSI, Capital Economics, Investment, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, outflows

☆ China can't rely on Southeast Asian exports to offset a U.S. slowdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Exports to the Association of Southeast Asia Nations have been growing. The 10-member bloc surpassed the European Union during the pandemic to become China's largest trading partner on a regional basis. Data showed that exports to Southeast Asia fell by 16% in May compared to a year ago, dragging down China's overall exports. Exports to the U.S. — China's largest trading partner on a single-country basis — fell by 18% from a year ago in U.S. dollar terms in May. At $42.48 billion, the U.S. exports in May were more than the $41.49 billion China exported to Southeast Asia that month, according to customs data.

Persons: That's, Bruce Pang, Pang Organizations: Association of Southeast Asia Nations, Union, Exports, —, ASEAN Locations: China's, Indonesia, BEIJING, China, Southeast Asia, U.S, Asia, JLL, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, The U.S

Summary Manufacturing PMI unexpectedly fallsNon-manufacturing PMI falls, as services slowPMIs show economic recovery losing steamMarkets skid on PMI weaknessBEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - China's factory activity shrank faster than expected in May on weakening demand, heaping pressure on policymakers to shore up a patchy economic recovery and knocking Asian financial markets lower. "The PMI data reveal that China may heading to a K-shaped recovery," said Bruce Pang, chief economist at Jones Lang LaSalle. "The sluggish domestic demand could weigh on China's sustainable growth, if there are no efficient and effective policy moves to engineer a broad-based recovery," said Pang. The PMI subindexes for May showed factory output swung to contraction from an expansion while new orders, including new exports, fell for the second month. Last month, imports contracted sharply, factory gate prices fell, property investment slumped, industrial profits plunged and factory output and retail sales both missed forecasts.

Persons: Bruce Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle, Pang, Jones Lang LaSalle's Pang, Li Qiang, Zhiwei Zhang, Liangping Gao, Ryan Woo, Sam Holmes Organizations: PMI, National Bureau of Statistics, . Service, New, Jones, Labor, Nomura, Barclays, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Asia, New Zealand, China, Japan

As life in China returns to normal after the pandemic, hawkers are hitting the streets. They look to at least supplement their income amid an uneven economic recovery in which jobs and wage growth has been sluggish. For decades, street stalls and hawkers - common elsewhere in Asia - have been banned or tightly regulated in many Chinese cities, with authorities seeing them as unsightly. The tech hub of Shenzhen, which banned hawking in 1999, will ease restrictions on street stalls from September. Lanzhou in the northwest said this month it would designate areas for street stalls as it sought to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship.

☆ China industrial profits tumble 18% in April as demand sputters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) - Profits at China's industrial firms slumped in the first four months of 2023, official data showed on Saturday, as companies continued to struggle with margin pressures and soft demand amid a faltering economic recovery. In April alone, industrial firms posted a 18.2% drop in profit year-on-year, according to the NBS, which only occasionally gives monthly figures. Chinese companies are struggling with both weak demand at home and softening demand in the country's major export markets. Earlier this month, Premier Li Qiang vowed more targeted measures to expand domestic demand and stabilise external demand in an effort to promote a sustained economic rebound. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.89 million) from their main operations.

☆ China's industrial profits tumble 18% in April as demand sputters
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Profits at China's industrial firms slumped in the first four months of 2023, official data showed on Saturday, as companies continued to struggle with margin pressures and soft demand amid a faltering economic recovery. In April alone, industrial firms posted a 18.2% drop in profit year-on-year, according to the NBS, which only occasionally gives monthly figures. Chinese companies are struggling with both weak demand at home and softening demand in the country's major export markets. Earlier this month, Premier Li Qiang vowed more targeted measures to expand domestic demand and stabilize external demand in an effort to promote a sustained economic rebound. Industrial profit numbers cover firms with annual revenues of at least 20 million yuan ($2.89 million) from their main operations.

It was well below expectations for a 10.9% increase in a Reuters poll of analysts although it marked the quickest growth rate since September 2022. Retail sales jumped 18.4%, speeding up sharply from a 10.6% increase in March for their fastest increase since March 2021. The growth target for this year is set at a low level, which leaves room for the government to wait and see." China has set a modest growth target of about 5% in 2023, after badly missing last year's goal. ($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Albee Zhang and Kevin Yao Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The consumer price index (CPI) in April rose 0.1% year-on-year, the lowest rate since February 2021, and cooling from the 0.7% annual gain seen in March, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. Reuters GraphicsPBOC TESTEDOverall inflationary pressures remain low with the core consumer inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, up 0.7%, unchanged from the previous month. The statistics bureau attributed the weaker consumer inflation to the base effect. Vegetable prices extended their decline to 13.5% and pork, a major driver of CPI, slowed its price growth to 4.0% from 9.6% in March. "Securing income growth and improving consumer confidence remain key policy priorities for delivering a more sustainable consumption recovery," said Pang.

BEIJING, May 9 (Reuters) - China's imports contracted sharply in April, while exports grew at a slower pace, reinforcing signs of feeble domestic demand despite the lifting of COVID curbs and heaping pressure on an economy already struggling in the face of cooling global growth. Economists in a Reuters poll had predicted no growth in imports and an 8.0% increase in exports. Analysts say cooling global growth pointed to a longer road to recovery for the Asian giant after Beijing abruptly ended tough COVID curbs in December. South Korean exports to China, a leading indicator of China's imports, were down 26.5% in April, continuing 10 consecutive months of decline. China's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter thanks to robust services consumption, but factory output has lagged amid weak global growth.

☆ China's consumer, factory prices skid as demand falters
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Tingshu WangIn contrast to surging prices globally, China’s retail and producer inflation has remained anaemic as the consumer and industrial sectors struggle to recover from their pandemic hit. Analysts now think consumer inflation could fall short of Beijing’s official targets this year. On a month-on-month basis, food prices fell 1.4%. GRAPHIC: China's inflation skids, hereFALLING SHORTThe government has set a target for average consumer prices in 2023 to be about 3%. “We think consumer price inflation will rebound in the coming months as the labour market tightens again and will peak at 2.3% in early 2024,” said Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics.

☆ China keeps lending benchmarks unchanged in March, as expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged for the seventh straight month in March, as expected, with the economy already benefiting from policy actions taken last week as it recovers from the pandemic. On Monday, the one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.65%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 4.30%. (Graphic: China lending rates unchanged in March here)In a Reuters poll conducted last week, all 22 participants predicted no change to either loan prime rate. “The central bank’s RRR cut was more of an emergency response to prevent overseas banking crisis from spilling over to China,” Xing said. An RRR cut nonetheless also promotes economic growth, so economists thought that last week’s made an LPR cut less likely.

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