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Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, also increased at a faster 4.6% pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest growth since May. The upbeat data suggest that a flurry of recent measures including property support policies to shore up a faltering economic recovery are starting to bear fruit. "Despite signs of stabilisation in manufacturing and related investment, the deteriorating property investment will continue to pressure economic growth," said Gary Ng, Natixis Asia Pacific senior economist. Ng said confidence remains the root of most problems requiring larger "constructive policy and regulatory changes" to boost growth momentum. For August, property investment extended its fall, down 19.1% year-on-year from a 17.8% slump the previous month, according to Reuters calculations based on NBS data.

Persons: Gary Ng, Ng, Albee Zhang, Liangping Gao, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, National Bureau of Statistics, Natixis Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, BEIJING, U.S

☆ China's property slump worsens, clouding recovery prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Residential buildings under construction at the Tao Yuan Tian Jing project, developed by China Evergrande Group, in Yangzhou, China, on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. Speculative bets that Chinese authorities will widen support for the property sector sent some of the country's ailing developers surging by the most on record. A slump in China's property sector worsened in August, with deepening falls in new home prices, property investment and sales, despite a recent flurry of support measures, adding pressure to the world's second-largest economy. For August, property investment fell for the 18th straight month, down 19.1% year-on-year from a 17.8% slump the previous month, separate data showed on Friday. Home sales are down for the 26th consecutive month, according to Reuters calculations based on the data.

Persons: Yuan Tian Jing Organizations: China Evergrande Group, National Bureau, Statistics Locations: Yangzhou, China, Beijing

☆ China's real estate sector is still in a period of 'adjustment,' says statistics bureau
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailChina's real estate sector is still in a period of 'adjustment,' says statistics bureauHowever, the National Bureau of Statistics of China said the country's advanced manufacturing and services sectors are growing. CNBC's Evelyn Cheng reports.

Persons: CNBC's Evelyn Cheng Organizations: National Bureau of Statistics Locations: China

☆ China's house-price slump drags on as Beijing battles to shore up the country's crisis-hit property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese house prices fell last month, according to data released Friday. The world's second-largest economy is grappling with a property crisis that's threatened to drag down growth. Policymakers have responded by cutting down-payment requirements and mortgage rates. The figures cover a period before policymakers slashed down-payment requirements and allowed lenders to cut mortgage rates in a bid to boost China's long-suffering real-estate sector. Falling house prices tend to weigh on a country's overall level of wealth, which fuels a decline in spending that drags down growth.

Persons: Evergrande Organizations: Service, National Bureau of Statistics, Fantasia Holdings Locations: Wall, Silicon, Beijing

☆ China’s retail sales surprise with faster growth, up 4.6% in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING — China's retail sales and industrial production picked up pace in August with better-than-expected growth, according to National Bureau of Statistics data released Friday. Retail sales grew by 4.6% in August from a year ago, beating expectations for 3% growth forecast by a Reuters poll. The increase was also faster than the 2.5% year-on-year pace in July. Industrial production grew by 4.5% in August from a year ago, better than the 3.9% forecast and faster than the 3.7% increase reported for July. That missed expectations for a 3.3% increase and was slower than the 3.4% pace reported as of July.

Persons: Fu Linghui Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics Locations: Chongqing, China, BEIJING

☆ China August industrial output, retail sales growth beat expectations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An employee inspects a circuit board on the controller production line at a Gree factory, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China August 16, 2021. The data released on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) beat expectations for a 3.9% increase in a Reuters poll of analysts, and marked the quickest rate since April. Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, also grew at a faster 4.6% pace in August aided by the summer travel season, and was the quickest growth since May. Fixed asset investment expanded 3.2% in the first eight months of 2023 from the same period a year earlier, versus expectations for a 3.3% rise. Reporting by Albee Zhang, Ellen Zhang and Joe Cash Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Albee Zhang, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Rights BEIJING, U.S

☆ Sino Ocean: China property woes deepen as a big developer suspends debt payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A major Chinese property company has suspended offshore debt payments, deepening turmoil in the beleaguered sector. Property sales by floor area dropped 7.1% in the January to August months, compared to the first eight months of 2022. On Thursday, Moody’s downgraded its outlook for the overall sector, citing a downturn in residential sales and continued jitters about the health of the industry. In June and July, nationwide property sales fell around 20% compared to the same period a year before, it said in a report. This reversed “the 11.9% growth for the first five months, reflecting renewed weakness in residential property,” the agency added.

Persons: Houlihan Loukey, Sidley Austin, Moody’s, — CNN’s Juliana Liu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Hong, National Bureau, Statistics, China SCE Group Locations: China, Hong Kong, Sino, Beijing

August throughput was also up from July's 14.87 million bpd. Year-to-date throughput gained 11.9% from a year earlier to 491.4 million tons, or 14.76 million bpd. The NBS data on Friday also showed China's domestic crude oil production in August gained 3.1% from a year earlier to 17.47 million metric tons, or 4.11 million bpd. The year-to-date volume rose 2.1% from a year earlier to 139.85 million tons, or 4.2 million bpd. Natural gas production last month rose 6.3% from a year earlier to 18.1 billion cubic metres (bcm), the NBS said.

Persons: Andrew Hayley, Chen Aizhu, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Air, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Thomson

☆ Australian jobs surge as productivity debate heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Headline indicators report a very strong employment report, but the bias towards predominantly part-time employment should temper exuberance," said Dwyfor Evans, head of APAC macro strategy at State Street Global Markets. Markets maintained bets that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) would keep rates steady next month, with an about 40% chance of one final hike early next year. WAGES, PRODUCTIVITYThe strong figures showed Australia's jobs market is still extremely tight more than and a year-and-a-half after the economy shook off its COVID-era border restrictions. loadingTreasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday welcomed the strong jobs report, but warned that the labour market could slow from here, a consensus view among economists. Adam Boyton, head of Australian research at ANZ, is already seeing signs of slackening in the labour market, with underemployment rate creeping up and hours worked falling.

Persons: Barista Claudio Chimisso, Loren Elliott, Dwyfor Evans, Tim Gurner, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Adam Boyton, Boyton, Stella Qiu, Kim Coghill, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Street Global, Reserve Bank, Australian, Reserve Bank of Australia, ANZ, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, China

☆ China economy: data improves in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong CNN —Economic activity in China appeared to improve in August, with data released on Friday suggesting a downturn in growth may be stabilizing. The outcome beat the expectations of a group of economists polled by Reuters. Retail sales, which measures consumption, expanded by 4.6% from a year earlier, compared to the tepid 2.5% increase reported in July. The economy is currently grappling with weak export demand from global markets and an ongoing property crisis. -— This is a developing story and will be updated.

Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Bureau of Statistics, Reuters, Retail, Investment Locations: Hong Kong, China

☆ Argentina August inflation forecast at highest since 1991
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Hernan Nessi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Argentina was already battling annual inflation near 115%, which is driving a painful cost of living crisis and pushing people into poverty. "August was the worst month, I would say in the last 25 years of Argentina's economy," Sergio Massa, Minister of Economy and presidential candidate for the ruling Peronist bloc, said in a recent television interview. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe survey of 28 analysts polled by Reuters forecast monthly inflation for August ranging from 9.3% to a maximum 12.9%. Analysts also predicted inflation would likely remain in double figures for September. Reporting by Hernan Nessi; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Javier Milei, Sergio Massa, Eugenio Mari, Hernan Nessi, Valentine Hilaire, Josie Kao Organizations: Index, Peronist, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Argentina's National Institute of Statistics, T Economic Advisors, Libertad y Progreso Foundation, Thomson Locations: BUENOS AIRES, Argentina

☆ The problem with labor data in understanding inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The central bank will continue to pay close attention to the state of the labor market, specifically on wages, as it focuses on defeating inflation, but there’s only so much that labor data can reveal about price increases. Mainly, it’s that wage figures are great at gauging inflation’s progress, but they’re lousy at forecasting its future. Financial markets have shifted back to a “bad news is good news” way of perceiving economic data and will continue to react to labor data, but ultimately, it’s the actual inflation data that matter most to the Fed. The issue of labor figures in forecasting inflation lies with productivity data. The Federal Reserve releases August data on industrial production.

Persons: Austan Goolsbee, Raphael Bostic, ”, Quincy Krosby, ” Agron Nicaj, it’s, Anna Cooban, ” James Athey Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal Reserve, Fed, Chicago Fed, Bloomberg, Atlanta Fed, Financial, LPL Financial, CNN, Oracle, National Federation of Independent Business, National Statistics, US Labor Department, Adobe, European Central Bank, US Commerce Department, China’s National Bureau of Statistics, Lennar Homes, The University of Michigan Locations: Washington, Saudi Arabia

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

☆ In U.S.-China AI contest, the race is on to deploy killer robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +26 min

In this high-tech contest, seizing the upper hand across fields including AI and autonomous weapons, like Ghost Shark, could determine who comes out on top. This could become critical if the United States intervened against an assault by Beijing on Taiwan. Cheap and expendableThe AI military sector is dominated by software, an industry where change comes fast. Still, the available disclosures of spending on AI military research do show that outlays on AI and machine learning grew sharply in the decade from 2010. The Costa-Mesa, California-based company now employs more than 1,800 staff in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Persons: America’s, Shane Arnott, Anduril, ” Arnott, Arnott, ”, “, Mick Ryan, Eric Schmidt, hasn’t, Lloyd Austin, –, Stuart Russell, Russell, Kathleen Hicks, “ We’ll, Palmer Luckey, Luckey, ” Arnott didn’t, Biden, Tsai Ing, Frank Kendall, Datenna, Martijn Rasser, Feng Yanghe, Feng, Palmer, ” Anduril, Arnott wouldn’t, David Lague, Edgar Su, Catherine Tai, Peter Hirschberg Organizations: Australian Navy, Ghost Sharks, Sharks, Reuters, Defense, Australian, Chinese Communist Party, Beijing, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Australia’s Department of Defence, Australian Defence Force, Technologists, University of California, U.S ., U.S, Teledyne FLIR, Facebook, VR, Military, . Air Force, FH, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Department, Statistics, Harvard University, Biden Administration, Special, Command, Ministry of Defense, Veteran Locations: China, Australia, United States, Sydney, Britain, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, ”, America, U.S, Taiwan, East Asia, Beijing, Russian, Berkeley, Fort Campbell , Tennessee, Kenya, “, Russia, Colorado, Zhuhai, Netherlands, Costa, Mesa , California, United Kingdom, Virginia, Canberra, Washington

☆ Opinion: The ‘rising superpower’ myth about China
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Opinion Peter Bergen | Joel Rayburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

He was the US Special Envoy for Syria and the senior director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon on the National Security Council staff during the Trump administration. After that, China’s National Bureau of Statistics said it would suspend publishing youth unemployment data in the future. What does it signify that China’s national power, which today is vast, is almost certain to be weaker in the future? If Xi and his strategists have a feasible plan for nimbly averting China’s demographic doom, they are keeping very quiet about it. This brings us back to the question of national security strategies for the United States and its allies.

Persons: Peter Bergen, Peter Bergen ”, Joel Rayburn, Trump, Biden, Saddam Hussein’s, Lloyd Austin, China’s, Xi Jinping, Stephen Shaver, ”, Ng Han Guan, Xi, China “, ” Trump Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, American Center for Levant Studies, New America, US, National Security Council, CNN, Strategy, Pentagon, of Defense, Development Research Center, Communist Party, UPI, Manpower, Census Bureau, National Bureau of Statistics, Financial, China’s Southwestern University of Finance, Economics, Rocky, United Nations, Beijing, Pew Research Center, Communist, Trump administration’s National Security, Twitter, Trump Locations: New America, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Washington, China, United States, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, al Qaeda, Ukraine, People’s Republic of China, Beijing, India, Yarkent County, China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Saudi Arabia, USSR, Russia, Russia’s Ukraine, Vietnam, Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong

☆ Australian economy grows modestly in Q2, eases recession fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed real gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.4% in the second quarter, slightly beating forecasts of 0.3%. The world's 12th largest economy got a boost from net exports, with the return of students and tourists, and public investment. "For all its challenges, the Aussie economy remains remarkably resilient," said Harry Murphy Cruise, an economist at Moody's Analytics. Government consumption will also moderate from its elevated levels, and business investment will ease on the back of squeezed profits." Household consumption, which used to be the engine of growth, remained subdued with just a 0.1% gain in the quarter due to spending on essential goods and services.

Persons: Harry Murphy Cruise, Jim Chalmers, Chalmers, Sean Langcake, Stella Qiu, Jacqueline Wong, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Moody's, Consumers, Reserve Bank of Australia, BIS Oxford, Thomson Locations: China

☆ China Caixin PMI: Services activity falls in August to lowest level in eight months
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Juliana Liu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —A private survey of business activity in China’s services sector fell to its lowest level in eight months in August, as a flurry of economic stimulus measures seemed unable to reignite consumption demand. The Caixin China general services purchasing managers index (PMI) slipped to 51.8 last month from 54.1 in July, according to data released Tuesday by Caixin Media and S&P Global. This was partly due to weaker foreign demand for Chinese services, they added, citing evidence of sluggish overseas orders. After a strong start to 2023 following the lifting of strict pandemic restrictions, economic growth in China has stalled. Since April, a slew of disappointing economic data and population statistics has sparked concern that China may be facing a period of much slower growth.

Persons: ” Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Caixin Media, P, PMI, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS Locations: China, Hong Kong

☆ Are liberal arts degrees worthless? 'Employers don't care what you major in,' says career expert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | In Kamaronmcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

I'm living proof you don't need a certain college major to do alright in life. The question of whether your college major matters (if you even have one) is similar to the question of whether having a degree at all matters in that the answer is yes and no. When your major really mattersThere are certainly jobs that require specific degrees. But there are also plenty of jobs that don't require specific degrees. If you're like I was and wondering if your major is going to pay off in the long run, fear not.

Persons: — I've, gainfully, I've, didn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Mayim Bialik, she'd, Kouakou, Christine Cruzvergara, Gen, they're, Cruzvergara Organizations: Sarah Lawrence College, University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Quinnipiac University, CNBC Locations: Los Angeles

☆ The Fed likely won’t raise rates this month — but November is another matter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington, DC CNN —Last week’s economic data increasingly gave investors hope that the Federal Reserve could hold interest rates steady this month, following a hike in July that brought rates to their highest level in 22 years. It’s hard to say definitively if or when the central bank will hike interest rates again this year. The Fed could hold rates steady for the rest of the year if both the job market and the broader economy continue to slow, helping bring down inflation. Higher for longer means keeping interest rates elevated for a prolonged period. China’s National Bureau of Statistics releases August inflation data.

Persons: hasn’t, ” Leslie Thompson, Thompson, Jerome Powell, Powell, Susan Collins, Powell’s Jackson, there’s, Raphael Bostic, Olesya Dmitracova, ” Patrick Hummel, David Lesne, Juan Perez, Carrascosa, Barnes & Noble Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, DC CNN, Federal, Financial, Spectrum Wealth Management, CNN, Fed, Kansas City, Boston, Yahoo, Finance, Atlanta Fed, Volkswagen, Renault, UBS, French, Swiss, Barnes &, The Reserve Bank of Australia, US Commerce Department, Eagle, Express, P Global, Institute for Supply Management, Bank of Canada, US Labor Department, Kroger, China’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: Washington, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, Cape Town , South Africa, Europe

☆ Home builder stocks shine as prospective buyers turn to new construction
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Home builder stocks are on a tear, boosted by a jump in demand as some Americans shun the historically tight and unaffordable market for existing housing. The Federal Reserve’s bid to bring down inflation by raising interest rates has sent US mortgage rates soaring over the past year. That’s been a boon to home builder stocks. That helped lift some home builder stocks, though many still slipped in August along with the broader market. Labor Day weekend gas prices are near all-time highsDrivers hitting the road this Labor Day weekend will be greeted by historically high gas prices for this time of the year.

Persons: That’s, Pultegroup, DR Horton, Lennar, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, DR, NVR, Anna Rathbun, Ethan Allen, Read Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, CNN —, Federal, Toll, Bank of America, Berkshire, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services, Labor, CNN, AAA, government’s National Bureau of Statistics Locations: China, Beijing, —

☆ U.S. crude futures climb over $2 late in session
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for October settled at $83.63 a barrel, up $2, or 2.45%. Brent crude futures for October, expiring on Thursday, finished up $1, 1.16%, at $86.86 a barrel. "The crude market is reacting to OPEC production cuts being extended," said Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. On Thursday, six-month U.S. crude oil futures traded as low as $3.83 below crude for front month delivery , the steepest discount since Nov. 17, signalling tight supplies and encouraging inventory draws. Analysts expect Saudi Arabia to extend a voluntary oil production cut of 1 million bpd into October, adding to cuts put in place by OPEC+.

Persons: Lucy Nicholson, Andrew Lipow, Brent, Ole Hansen, Eric Rosengren, Ahmad Ghaddar, Jeslyn Lerh, David Goodman, Nick Macfie, Paul Simao, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, bbl, Fed, Organization Petroleum Exporting, . West Texas, Brent, Lipow Oil Associates, U.S . Energy, Administration, OPEC, Saxo Bank, Commerce Department, Reserve, Boston Fed, National Bureau of Statistics, Thomson Locations: Bakersfield , California, Saudi Arabia, China, HOUSTON, U.S, Singapore

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

☆ Australia Q2 business investment hits highest in 7-1/2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The central business district (CBD) of Melbourne can be seen from the area located along the Yarra River called Southbank located in Melbourne, Australia, July 27, 2016. Spending of A$37.58 billion ($24.43 billion) was the highest since late 2015, while investment in equipment reached a record peak of A$17.53 billion. Firms also lifted spending plans for the fiscal year to June 2024 to A$157.8 billion, up 14.5% on the previous quarter. Figures for gross domestic product (GDP) for the June quarter are due next week and analysts are tipping growth of only around 0.3%. ($1 = 1.5370 Australian dollars)Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Nomura, Andrew Ticehurst, Wayne Cole, Christopher Cushing, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Australian Bureau, Statistics, Reserve Bank of Australia, Investors, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, Southbank, Australia

Reuters GraphicsCOAL, CRUDESimilar to iron ore, China's imports of seaborne coal are also expected to be robust in August, with Refinitiv estimating arrivals of 31.2 million tons, while Kpler expects 34.3 million. Coal imports have been strong since March as the country turned to thermal generation to make up for weaker-than-usual hydropower. Whether China maintains strength in crude imports will largely depend on whether its refiners continue to export large volumes of diesel and gasoline. The rally in crude prices since June should start to show up in China's crude imports from September onwards, given the lag between when cargoes are arranged and delivered. Overall, it appears that factors other than the strength of China's economy are behind the still solid imports of iron ore, coal and crude oil.

Persons: China's, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, National Bureau of Statistics, Iron, Reuters Graphics, Kpler, Refinitiv Oil, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Qingdao, Shandong province, China, Rights LAUNCESTON, Australia, Indonesia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia

☆ Country Garden: China's biggest homebuilder is fighting for its life. Here's what you need to know about the real estate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Hong Kong CNN —Just a few months ago, Country Garden was the biggest property developer in China, with more than 3,000 developments spanning the country. Real estate accounts for between a quarter and third of China’s gross domestic product (GDP). A default by Country Garden or another peer could also spread to China’s wider economy and even spill over into global markets. Beijing has announced a flurry of stimulus measures to bolster the real estate sector in recent days, including easing mortgage curbs for homebuyers. This week’s news from Country Garden and Vanke suggest the crisis might not have bottomed out yet.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, “, ”, China Vanke, Zhu Jiusheng, Yu Liang, Yu, Evergrande Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Zhongrong, Country, National Bureau of Statistics, Kaisa, Shimao, Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Shenzhen, United States, Times China

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