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☆ China's Population Drops for 2nd Year, Raises Long-Term Growth Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Farah MasterBEIJING (Reuters) - China's population fell for a second consecutive year in 2023, as a record low birth rate and a wave of COVID-19 deaths when strict lockdowns ended accelerated a downturn that will have profound long-term effects on the economy's growth potential. Japan's birth rate was 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2022, while South Korea's rate was 4.9. Long-term, U.N. experts see China's population shrinking by 109 million by 2050, more than triple the decline of their previous forecast in 2019. POLICY ISSUESChina's 2023 rate of 7.87 deaths per 1,000 people was higher than a rate of 7.37 deaths in 2022. Marriages are a leading indicator for birth rates in China, where most single women cannot access child-raising benefits.

Persons: Farah Master, Mao, Washington ., Xi Jinping, Marius Zaharia, Jamie Freed Organizations: Farah Master BEIJING, National Bureau of Statistics, United Nations, Academy of Sciences Locations: China, Japan, South Korea, South, India, Beijing, Washington, United States, Hong Kong

Now "it's like 'plus-10' and then China," he added, with the latter down to providing half of Industry West's products and being trimmed more. China recorded its first-ever quarterly deficit in foreign direct investment in July-September, suggesting capital outflow pressure. But for the first time in the four decades since China opened up to foreign investments, executives are now also concerned about long-term growth prospects. Primavera Capital founder Fred Hu cites mounting macroeconomic uncertainty, a "murky capital market outlook," and lingering concerns over past regulatory crackdowns on high-growth industries such as technology and education. Despite the challenges, foreign investment flows are not unidirectional.

Persons: Jordan England, Nicholas Lardy, England, I'm, Li Qiang's, Li, Michael Hart, Noah Fraser, Fred Hu, Hu, Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang, Kane Wu, Eduardo Baptista, Don Durfee, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, Jamie Freed Organizations: China, Reuters, Peterson Institute for International Economics, LONG, Conference Board, China International, Canada China Business Council, Reuters Graphics, Primavera Capital, Tech, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Mexico, England, Florida, Washington, Beijing, consultancies, U.S, Asia, Australia, Europe, Hong Kong

☆ Exclusive: China govt advisers call for steady growth target in 2024, more stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Five of the seven advisers who spoke with Reuters said they favoured a target of around 5%, matching this year's goal. The proposals will be made next month at the ruling Communist Party's annual Central Economic Work Conference that discusses policy plans and the outlook for the world's second-largest economy. "We need to adopt expansionary fiscal and monetary policy to stimulate aggregate demand," Yu Yongding, a government economist who advocates for a growth target of roughly 5%, told Reuters. "We are stepping up fiscal policy support," said another adviser, to make the "difficult" 2024 target "achievable." The stuttering post-COVID recovery has prompted many analysts to call for structural reforms that tilt the drivers of economic growth away from property and infrastructure investment and towards household consumption and market-allocation of resources.

Persons: Yu Yongding, Yu, Guan Tao, Xi Jinping, Kevin Yao, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Reuters, Communist, Economic Work Conference, BOC International, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, Beijing, outflows, Japan

☆ China's not-so-special economic zone embodies a harsh new reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( David Kirton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

REUTERS/David Kirton Acquire Licensing RightsSHENZHEN, China, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Tony Xiong is among the latest arrivals to the glitzy office towers in the newest part of Shenzhen, built to showcase China's economic miracle. Office workers are not the only ones grumbling about the unattractiveness of Qianhai, a special economic zone where Chinese dreams of global financial might and economic prosperity that once seemed inevitable are now darkened by half-empty skyscrapers and shopping malls as well as barely used motorways. And that's before China's tallest skyscraper of over 1,000 metres and a cluster of other towers are completed. With China entering a new era of sluggish growth, Qianhai may never reach the international status to which it aspires. The Qianhai Authority and China's State Council Information Office did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the local and macro economic challenges.

Persons: David Kirton, Tony Xiong, Qianhai, Knight Frank, Antonio Fatas, Deng Xiaoping's, Xi Jinping, Xi, Zhiwu Chen, incentivised, Witman Hung, I've, Brian Miller, Klaus Zenkel, it's, Bill Deng, Zhang, James Pomfret, Marius Zaharia, David Crawshaw Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Authority, Communist Party, University of Hong, Qianhai Authority, HSBC, UBS, Standard Chartered, Chamber of Commerce, Greater, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, Rights SHENZHEN, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, China's, Qianhai, University of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hengqin, Macau, Nansha, South China, Greater Bay Area, . Hong Kong

Liu got the librarian job after a government-led campaign to secure temporary work for graduates, which analysts describe as a short-term solution to preserve social stability in a slowing economy with little on offer for young Chinese. Such "welfare jobs," as they are known in China, include roles as receptionists, office administrators, security guards and community workers. Various government institutions offer such jobs every year, but they had usually drawn applications from disadvantaged groups, such as elderly or disabled people. But state media editorials have also encouraged young graduates to take lower skilled jobs. Reuters GraphicsThe total take-up of short-term jobs and internships remains unknown, but social media posts commenting on the selection process and discussing career options are frequent and analysts expect such roles will be in demand in a slowing economy.

Persons: Peter Liu, Liu, Wang Jun, joblessness, Mao Zedong, Chen, Graphics Liu, Kripa Jayaram, Ellen Zhang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Human Resources, Social Security, Huatai Asset Management, Graphics, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, Beijing, Henan, China, Chongqing

Data released on Thursday showing a drop in consumer prices to their lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the doubts in China's economic rebound after some months of indicators showing growth stabilising. China's big online shopping platforms did not release final sales figures for 2022, when analysts said COVID-19 restrictions inhibited spending and consumer confidence. Some indicators point to a slowdown in Singles Day sales. Data provider Syntun estimated e-commerce platforms sold 311 billion yuan of products from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, a 7.1% decrease year-on-year. For Tan Jiapeng, a 35-year-old office worker in Beijing, his only Singles Day purchase so far has been a Descente winter jacket, an "essential purchase" for the winter.

Persons: Florence Lo, Jason Yu, Kantar, COVID, Bain, Jacob Cooke, Nomura, Tan Jiapeng, Tan, Casey Hall, Sophie Yu, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, HK, PDD Holdings, Company, Technologies, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, China, Beijing

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng attends a joint press conference following the 10th China-EU High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China September 25, 2023. He, 68, replaced internationally respected Liu He as one of China's four vice premiers during its annual parliament session in March. The full scope of his portfolio had been largely unclear until Sunday when state media referred to him as the director of a powerful Communist Party economic body. "He Lifeng mainly implements policies from the top leader," said a policy adviser who spoke on condition of anonymity, referring to Xi. "Now under the leadership of the Party ... there will be closer cooperation among the top economic planner, central bank and the finance ministry."

Persons: Lifeng, Florence, Xi Jinping's, Liu, Xi, Liu He, Li Keqiang, Peng Liyuan, Kevin Yao, Laurie Chen, Joe Cash, Ellen Zhang, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Communist Party, Central Financial Commission, Harvard, Investors, State Council, Party, Xiamen University, National Development, Reform Commission, Thomson Locations: China, EU, Diaoyutai, Beijing, Rights BEIJING, China's, Washington, Europe, Quanzhou, Fujian, Xiamen, Tianjin, Lincoln

[1/3] Tourists rest on the Bund ahead of the National Day holiday, in Shanghai, China September 26, 2023. China celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day from Friday to Oct. 6 in the longest public holiday this year. The China Tourism Academy, part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, estimates people will make more than 100 million trips a day during "the most popular Golden Week in history". In 2019, mainland Chinese tourists spent $255 billion abroad, more than any other nationality, with group tours estimated to account for roughly 60% of that total. ($1 = 7.3030 Chinese yuan renminbi)Additional reporting by Wang Tao in Singapore; Editing by Marius Zaharia and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, It's, Joe Zhang, I'm, haven't, Boon Sian Chai, Boon, Cao, Nancy Dai, Zhou Weihong, Wang Zheng, Wang Tao, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Bund, REUTERS, Rights, China Tourism Academy, Ministry of Culture, Trip.com, Spring, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Beijing, Japan, Tourism, Anqing, Anhui, South Korea, United States, ForwardKeys, Thailand, Singapore

[1/4] Couples prepare to get their photo taken during a wedding photography shoot on a street, in Shanghai, China September 6, 2023. "The traditional Chinese wedding industry is probably in for tough times." "People are more inclined to go for a simple and niche wedding," said Chen, adding that a decade ago, it was common for couples to spend millions of yuan. 'NICHE, NICHE, NICHE'The economic downturn has hit the middle class, and the youth, the hardest, resulting in high jobless rates and low household spending. Our strategy has been to stay niche, niche, niche," said Wang.

Persons: Aly, Yuan Jialiang, Ben Cavender, Frank Chen, Chen Feng, Chen, Chow Tai Fook, It's, Xueyi, Jewel Wang, Vera Wang, Wang, Oscar de la, Carolina Herrera, Casey Hall, Xihao Jiang, Farah, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Market Research, Daxue Consulting, COVID, Jewellery, HK, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Xi'an, Hong Kong

The figures suggest that China's latest steps to revive a crisis-hit property market, including lower mortgage rates and down payments, could unlock some pockets of housing demand in the most sought-after areas, but may struggle to halt the broader property market downturn. "These measures may generate a short-term rebound in property transactions, but are insufficient to stabilize the property market," Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note. But Yu Fei, a property sales agent at HomeLink, said the initial spike in interest he noticed in the first few days is already petering out. "Many homebuyers remain in a wait-and-see approach, some hoping for more radical policies to stimulate the property market," Yu said. Goldman analysts said if property sales kept sliding policymakers could release more liquidity into the market by cutting banks' reserve requirement ratios, lowering rates, easing home purchasing rules further.

Persons: Jason Lee, Goldman Sachs, Zhang Guoqiang, I'm, Zhang, Zhao Jie, Yu Fei, Yu, Goldman, Wan, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, China Index, Haitong Securities, Longfor, HK, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, China's

"I used to love buying branded clothes," said teacher Zhang as she sifted through a pile of garments priced between 15 and 50 yuan ($2-$7). With wages and pensions hardly budging and the job market highly uncertain as more than one in five young Chinese remain unemployed, households' confidence and spending power are low in the barely growing economy. The real estate sector, one of the pillars of the economy, is struggling with massive debt. "One of my customers is a rich woman who used to go to Japan for shopping, but now she comes to my store," said Wang. ($1 = 7.3179 Chinese yuan renminbi)Additional reporting by Winni Zhou in Shanghai; editing by Marius Zaharia and Miral FahmyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Amy Zhang, Zhang, Becky Liu, Gucci, Kering, Lu, Yunshan, I've, Wang, Winni Zhou, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Standard Chartered, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, China, LVMH, Japan, Shanghai

☆ Analysis: China needs more than cheaper mortgages to revive spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China said last week it would cut interest rates on existing mortgages and eased rules for first-time buyers in big cities, in what the central bank and financial regulators jointly said were moves "conducive to expanding consumption." But to prevent profit margins from shrinking further, state-owned banks have also lowered deposit rates by 10-25 basis points in a coordinated move. But they also warn that a 15 basis point cut in interest rates on Chinese households' 131.4 trillion yuan of deposits reduces interest income by 197 billion per year. Mortgage rates for first homes are around 4%, while one-year fixed deposit rates are roughly 1.5%. "People don't consume because they don't have money so cutting deposit rates cannot really work."

Persons: Simon, Yu, government's, Ting Lu, Zhaopeng Xing, Li Xiao, Li, Guo, Nancy Yang, Yang, Jason Xue, Samuel Shen, Winni Zhou, Gao, Ellen Zhang, Ziyi Tang, Joe Cash, Marius Zaharia, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Nomura, ANZ, HIT, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, BEIJING, Shanghai, Beijing, China, Guangdong, Wuhan

☆ China's auto workers bear the brunt of price war as fallout widens
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Millions of auto workers and suppliers in China are feeling the heat as an electric vehicle price war forces carmakers to shave costs anywhere they can. State-run China Automotive News estimates there are over 100,000 auto suppliers in the country. Suppliers typically negotiate prices once a year, but many have been pressed to lower prices on a quarterly basis in 2023, two senior executives at auto suppliers said. And in June, a group of small suppliers wrote to state-owned Changan Automobile to push back against 10% price reductions. Three months later, he told Reuters that price cuts had been more aggressive in 2023 than in previous years.

Persons: Aly, Mike Chen, Chen, carmakers, Tesla, George Magnus, Elon Musk, Mike Chen's, Li Auto, Liu, Changan Automobile's, Chen Yudong, They've, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, David Clarke Organizations: SAIC Volkswagen, REUTERS, Rights, Shanghai, SAIC, Volkswagen, VW, Oxford University's China, China Passenger Car Association, Tesla, GM, HK, Changan Automobile, Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota, Hyundai, China Automotive, Automobile, EV, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, China's, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hefei, Chongqing, Chery's, Qingdao

"There is a significant risk in the short term of financial crisis or other degree of economic crisis that would carry very substantial social and political costs for the Chinese government. By the time the global financial crisis hit in 2008-09, it had already met most of its investment needs for its level of development, economists say. To keep growth high, China in the 2010s doubled down on infrastructure and property investment, at the expense of household consumption. China has since backed away from major financial market liberalisation while plans to rein in state behemoths and introduce universal social welfare never quite materialised. "But at the same time there's a great fear of the short-term political and social risk, especially of provoking an economic crisis."

Persons: Xi Jinping's, William Hurst, Chong Hua, there's, Max Zenglein, We're, Logan Wright, Alicia Garcia Herrero, Hurst, Liangping Gao, Kevin Yao, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, Sam Holmes Organizations: Development, University of Cambridge, International Monetary Fund, Asia Pacific, China's, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Japan, Beijing, Natixis

☆ Explainer: Why is China's economy slowing down and could it get worse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Sept 1 (Reuters) - China's economic growth is slowing down as policymakers try to fix a property market downturn, with troubles at major developer Country Garden in focus. Concerns are mounting over whether the world's second-largest economy is coming closer to a crunch point:WHAT IS CAUSING CHINA’S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN? THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR CONCERNS OVER CHINA'S ECONOMY BEFORE. China's household spending as a proportion of GDP lags that of most other countries. WILL CHINA’S ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN GET WORSE?

Persons: Thomas Peter, Marius Zaharia, Robert Birsel, Neil Fullick Organizations: REUTERS, Communist Party, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, West, United States, Japan, outflows

☆ Why is China's economy slowing down and could it get worse?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Analysts see this as an emerging new trend of trade regionalisation in the eastern and western hemispheres - each dominated by one of the superpower - that could pose risks to global growth. This "will likely contribute to increased regionalisation of international trade, which would raise inflation and hamper growth for other countries caught in the crossfire." China has also applied to join the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the world's largest free trade agreements. To join this Pacific trade axis, though, China needs the approval from all member countries, including U.S. allies. "And both of those countries value trade with the U.S. under their North American framework more than they value trade with China."

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Elizabeth Frantz, Neil Thomas, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Raimondo, Trump, William Hurst, Joe Cash, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, William Mallard Organizations: . Commerce, Capitol, REUTERS, Southeast Asia, Analysts, Asia Society Policy Institute, Higher, Census, Reuters, Canada Agreement, Comprehensive, Pacific, U.S, University of Cambridge, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Washington, Canada, Mexico, Beijing, Southeast, decouple, U.S, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific

Many economists have called on China to boost its social safety net to rebalance the economy. Yao was unswayed and would prefer consumer vouchers, which some local governments in China have issued, but in amounts too small to matter at a macro level. Local governments, while cash poor, are asset rich. Michael Pettis, senior fellow at Carnegie China, estimates that if Beijing forces local governments to transfer 1-1.5% of GDP to households, China could maintain current growth. "One of the really big conflicts is likely to be between Beijing and the local governments over how to allocate the various adjustment costs.

Persons: Erin Yao, Juan Orts, Orts, Tokyo's, Yao, joblessness, Jens Eskelund, Wang Jiliu, Wang, Michael Pettis, Laurie Chen, Kripa Jayaram, Marius Zaharia, Sam Holmes Organizations: Fathom Consulting, Communist Party, Reuters Graphics, European Chamber of Commerce, Carnegie China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, HONG KONG, China, Beijing, United States, Hainan

Analysts see this more than 7 percent increase in the number of drivers as a manifestation of the subdued job market. At least four others have issued warnings of overcapacity, with some saying drivers get fewer than 10 orders a day as a result. Cai said he earns 200-300 yuan a day, driving for Didi Global - China's answer to Uber - from 8.00 am until close to midnight. Up until recently, he made 400 yuan a day plus bonuses, going home before 8.00 pm. Shanghai driver Li Weimin's rationale for working underscores the shrinking job market.

Persons: Zhu Zhimin, Zhu, Wang Ke, James Cai, Cai, Didi, Wang, Nanxun Li, It's, Li, Casey Hall, Xihao Jiang, Marius Zaharia Organizations: Transport, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Cities, Sanya, Changsha, Haikou, Hainan, Analysys, Beijing

☆ How much worse can China's economic slowdown get?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China's economic activity data for July, including retail sales, industrial output and investment failed to match expectations, fuelling concern over a deeper, longer-lasting slowdown in growth. THE DEMISE OF CHINA'S GROWTH HAS BEEN MISTAKENLY FORECAST BEFORE. Alarm bells over growth rang during the global financial crisis in 2008-09 and during a capital outflow scare in 2015. If it persists, deflation could exacerbate the economic slowdown and deepen debt problems. There is also uncertainty about China's appetite for large fiscal stimulus, given the high levels of municipal debt.

Persons: Marius Zaharia, Robert Birsel Organizations: Communist Party, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, West, United States, Japan, outflows

But there are new good deals all the time, you just have to go out to find them." That's what deflation looks like in China. As witnessed by Japan in the 1990s, deflation - if prolonged - can weigh on economic growth. "Good deals are needed to get consumers through the door so there is a lot of pressure on these businesses to find margins," said Ben Cavender, managing director at China Market Research Group in Shanghai. Restaurant worker Dong went to a wet market in central Beijing around lunchtime on Thursday, but did not buy anything.

Persons: Gao Yi, Ben Cavender, Zhu Danpeng, Joey Wat, Dong, Sophie Yu, Marius Zaharia, Sam Holmes Organizations: China Market Research Group, Guangdong Provincial Food Safety, Alliance, HK, KFC, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Japan, Shanghai, Guangdong

People wearing face masks are seen on an overpass in front of a residential building in Beijing, China August 11, 2020. Investors may get their first read on the market reaction when official property investment and price data for August is released next month. It was not the curbs that were holding the market down, they said, but Chinese doubts about better days ahead. While not bullish on real estate, she thinks of big-city properties as a "slightly bruised apple amidst a bunch of rotten ones." "I'm concerned about the change," said a 26-year-old pharmaceuticals worker surnamed Song, who had considered buying a property in Beijing before realising he needed his parents' support.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Kate Ren, hasn't, Ren, Ting Lu, Sophia Chen, Chen, Zhuran Zhang, Zhang, Song, Liangping Gao, Ella Cao, Shuyan Wang, Marius Zaharia, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Nomura, Investors, July's Communist Party, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, Shanghai, China's, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou

Coins and banknotes of China's yuan are seen in this illustration picture taken February 24, 2022. BEIJING'S DILEMMALocal government debt reached 92 trillion yuan ($12.8 trillion), or 76% of economic output in 2022, up from 62.2% in 2019. To avoid that risk, the adviser suggested all stakeholders bear some of the burden: financial institutions, local governments, Beijing and society at large. From 2015 to 2018, local governments issued some 12 trillion yuan of bonds to swap for off-balance sheet debt. For the local debt problem to stop re-occuring policymakers need to implement profound changes to how the economy works.

Persons: Florence Lo, China's, Guo Tianyong, Logan Wright, ”, Tao Wang, Guo, Rhodium's Wright, Marius Zaharia Organizations: REUTERS, Beijing, Communist Party, Central University of Finance, Economics, Monetary Fund, Reuters, Local, UBS, BBVA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, BEIJING, “, China, Lincoln

Financial firms and their regulators have cut salaries and bonuses after China's top graft-busting watchdog vowed to eliminate "Western-style hedonism" in the $57 trillion sector. "Wage cuts will intensify deflationary risks and reduce willingness to spend," said Zhaopeng Xing, ANZ's senior China strategist. Reuters GraphicsWEAK BARGAINING POWERUnilateral wage cuts are illegal in China, but complex salary structures offer ways around that. Shao, who sold make-up in the eastern city of Suzhou and only gave her surname for privacy reasons, had a choice to leave her company or accept a 50% wage cut. Their bargaining power ... is weakened so they tend to accept wage cuts," said Aidan Chau, researcher at Hong Kong-based rights group China Labour Bulletin.

Persons: Yao, Zhaopeng Xing, ANZ's, Unit's Xu Tianchen, Zhaopin, Shao, Aidan Chau, Xu, he's, Xiangrong Yu, Ellen Zhang, Marius Zaharia, Liangping Gao, Kripa Jayaram, Kim Coghill Organizations: Communist Party, Financial, Economist, Reuters, Workers, China Labour Bulletin, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Citi, Graphics, Thomson Locations: China, BEIJING, HONG KONG, Hefei, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing

☆ China's politburo meeting leaves many economic headaches unaddressed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Encouraging higher wages requires unleashing the private sector from tight Communist Party controls, as well as boosting workers' bargaining power. Another headache for the Communist Party is youth unemployment surpassing 20%. The onus is on the private sector to provide those jobs, but many businesses lack confidence after years of crackdowns on the tech, financial and other industries. Chinese courts answer to the Communist Party. More profound structural reforms will have to wait until a key Party conference in December.

Persons: weren't, Marius Zaharia, Lincoln Organizations: Communist Party, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, CHINA, China, United States, Japan, Beijing, crackdowns

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