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☆ In aging China, a call for 'bold' steps to cut cost of having babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A Chinese health official has urged local governments to take "bold" steps to lower the cost of having babies and raising children to reduce the burden on families and boost fertility, a state-backed publication reported on Friday. In addition to that is the prospect of a rapidly aging population slowing the economy as revenues drop and government debt increases because of soaring health and welfare costs. Yang Wenzhuang, director of Department of Population Monitoring and Family Development under the National Health Commission (NHC), stressed the importance of family support for improving the fertility rate, the publication the Paper reported. China had to "firmly grasp the important window period of population development" during its 14th five-year plan which runs until 2025, to accelerate "the promotion of childbearing support", he said. Yang's comments were published in the latest issue of NHC-managed magazine, Population and Health, the Paper said.

China's population is shrinking. This shocking statistic is only the start of China's population decline. This year India is set to surpass China's population, and in a few years it will surpass China's working-age population — people 20 to 69. Because of its manufacturing prowess and importance to supply chains, China's shrinking working-age population has enormous, direct effects on the global economy. Among today's largest economies, only the US has a projection of positive population growth, though at very low levels.

☆ China’s population shrinks for the first time since 1961
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] An elderly person holds a child near lanterns decorating a shop ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, in Beijing, China, January 15, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, Jan 17 (Reuters) - China's population fell last year for the first time since 1961, a historic turn that is expected to mark the start of a long period of decline in its citizen numbers and see India become the world's most populous nation in 2023. The country had 1.41175 billion people at at the end of 2022, compared with 1.41260 billion a year earlier, China's National Bureau of Statistics said. China also logged its highest death rate since 1976, registering 7.37 deaths per 1,000 people compared with a rate of 7.18 deaths in 2021. China's stringent zero-COVID policies that were in place for threee years before an abrupt reversal which has overwhelmed medical faciliites, have caused further damage to the country's bleak demographic outlook, population experts have said.

☆ China's October retail and industrial data miss expectations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Covid cases have soared in China's capital city of Beijing, where many communities have been recently locked down or under tighter health monitoring as the country maintains its zero-Covid policy. BEIJING — Three indicators on China's economy in October missed expectations and marked a slowdown from September, according to data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday. Retail sales fell by 0.5% in October from a year ago — the first decline since May — and industrial production grew by 5%, the data showed. Analysts polled by Reuters expected retail sales would slow to 1% year-on-year growth in October, and that industrial production would also slow to 5.2% growth. Investment in real estate declined further in October on a year-to-date basis, while that in manufacturing slowed slightly from September.

☆ China to host press conference on targeted COVID prevention on Nov 5
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, Nov 4 (Reuters) - China health authorities will host a press conference on targeted COVID-19 prevention on Nov. 5 at 3 pm (0700 GMT), according to an official notice. Experts and officials from China's National Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention will attend the meeting, according to the notice published on China.com.cn, where China releases official press conference schedules. Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Asia-Pacific markets set to rise ahead of China factory activity data
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Abigail Ng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Pedestrians cross a street in front of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, operated by Japan Exchange Group, in Tokyo, Japan. Shares in the Asia-Pacific are set to rise on Monday ahead of China's factory activity data that's slated to be released, and as markets look ahead to the U.S. Fed meeting later this week. On Friday in the U.S., major stock indexes jumped 2% each on optimism that inflation may be slowing. Later this week, the Federal Reserve will hold its policy meeting and announce its interest rate decision. Several countries will report inflation data this week.

☆ China delayed the release of key economic data to avoid distraction amid the Communist Party Congress, not to conceal data, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

China delayed the release of key economic data, including third-quarter GDP, scheduled for this week. The postponement of the data — GDP in particular — has raised speculation that the numbers are deliberately being hidden. "Beijing just wants everyone and the media coverage to focus on the Congress, not on economic data." While delays in monthly statistical data release are indeed "quite unusual," they are not unprecedented, according to Zhuang. However, it's the first time Beijing is delaying GDP data release.

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