China turns into a urban nation. A transformation that entails a dramatic achievement and a challenge without precedents in the world. As cities become better places to live they become more expensive too, to the extent that people can’t afford the luxury of inhabiting these mega-cities. Without a fairer model, which fosters job creation and an equal access to resources, urbanization risks undermining the country’s transition towards domestic consumption.
BEIJING | By Caixin Magazine | Global opinion on China economic prospects appears to have soured of late. Credit ratings agency Fitch downgraded the country’s long-term local-currency rating from AA– to A+ last month, followed by Moody’s lowering the country’s credit outlook from “positive” to “stable.” Are market bears right? For many, this means Beijing must put reform back on its agenda.
BEIJING | By Wang Yuqian and Yang Lu (Caixin Magazine) | What caused the precipitous decline in the price of the precious metal? And how do analysts in China see it? Three experts come up with different explanations, from investor panic triggered by the European debt crisis to, more bizarrely, a conspiracy theory that the U.S. government orchestrated the collapse.
The size of what is owed could reach up to $3.2 trillion or $1.6 trillion at best. These figures are equivalent to between 20 percent to 40 percent of the country’s GDP.
An Apple bashing campaign orchestrated by a protectionist government or a real reaction from consumers? The truth is Tim Cook made an unusual move on Monday apologizing to Chinese customers over the company’s warranty policy.
LISBOA| By José Alves | Capital Madrid| How the European Union prevents Russia from accessing strategic sectors, but when it comes to China the governments just seem to look away and open the door.
BEIJING | In his last speech the outgoing Prime Minister, Wen Jiabao, acknowledged the social challenges China is dangerously facing. The new leadership will have to deal with local governments and State Owned Enterprises ready to defend their current status quo and likely to be sceptical about any form of reform.
By CaixaBank analysts | China exceeds expectations with 7.9% growth in GDP year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2012. Indicators confirm that Chinese exports picked up again in December.
China’s economic miracle was possible thanks to three decades of cheap manufacturing and exports. Thousands of workers left their villages to become the cheap labour force of China’s southern cities. Now this is a thing of the past.
China’s growth for 2012 was released by mid-January: an overall growth of a 7.8% with a slight increase of 0.1 points for the last quarter, topping a 7.9%. The widely expected figure was the lowest since 1999. But is this a negative or a positive sign?