China

US China relations

China and the US might not be decoupling but their technologies are bifurcating

Alicia García Herrero (Natixis) | The strategic competition between the US and China started in early 2018 when the Trump administration implemented untargeted import tariffs and reoriented most of its trade efforts towards widening the technology gap between China and the US with a special focus on deep tech, such as semiconductors. The Biden administration has pushed even further in that direction. However, one should not forget that well before…


china happy

China GDP expands 4.5% year-on-year in 1Q2023, largest increase since 1Q2022

Link Securities | China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 4.5% year-on-year in 1Q2023, beating FactSet’s analyst consensus reading of 3.4%, and following a 2.9% rise in the previous quarter. The reading represents its largest increase since 1Q2022, amid the government’s post-pandemic economic recovery momentum, although the growth is somewhat lower than the government’s forecast of 5% growth for the year as a whole. Meanwhile, China’s industrial production rose by…


Lula

Will Lula find his El Dorado in China?

Alicia García Herrero (Natixis) | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is currently in Beijing with a huge official and business delegation. His goals are clear: first and foremost, bringing growth opportunities to Brazil, whose economy has been battered by the Covid pandemic. Brazilian exports of commodities into China have ballooned since Beijing’s fiscal binge in 2008 that led to pent-up demand for commodities. More recently, Brazil’s large lithium reserves,…


china WTO

Low CPI in March suggests Chinese economy growing below potential

Bankinter | CPI falls back in March to +0.7% year-on-year from +1.0% and Industrial Prices remain negative at -2.5% year-on-year. This is the lowest CPI reading since September 2021 and Industrial Prices (IPP) since June 2020. The CPI Underlying Rate stands at +0.7% year-on-year from +0.6% previously. Analysis: Consumer and producer price inflation remains at exceptionally low levels in China. CPI has remained below the government’s target of +3% for…


china blues 1

Li Keqiang’s last Two Sessions

Alicia García Herrero (Natixis) | China’s so-called Two Sessions, the country’s most important annual political gathering, marked a transition this year. Held in early March, it included the final work report – or summary of government business – delivered by outgoing Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, who after two five-year terms as China’s prime minister, handed over to Li Qiang. Against this backdrop, Li Keqiang’s 2023 work report was blissfully short,…


china happy

China’s March manufacturing PMI stands at 51.9 (52.6 previous), services PMI rises to 58.2 (56.3 previous)

Link Securities | China’s official advance manufacturing activity index, the manufacturing PMI, came in at 51.9 in March, above the 51.6 expected by the analysts’ consensus, although it was below the 52.6 of the previous month. We recall that a reading above 50 points indicates expansion of activity from the previous month, while a reading below that level indicates contraction of activity. Most components decelerated after February, although production, new…


china industria trabajadora

China reopening already noticeable: industrial production and retail sales up 2.4% and 3.5% in February

Bankinter : Several positive data in China. While Retail Sales (Jan+Feb) improve to +3.5% year-on-year, as expected vs -1.8% previously, Industrial Production (Jan+Feb) improves to +2.4% year-on-year vs +2.6% esp. and +1.3% previously. Also, the Unemployment Rate (Feb) rebounds to 5.6% vs 5.3% esp. and 5.5% previously. Finally, the PBoC injected the largest amount of liquidity since December 2020 via a medium-term credit line. Specifically, it amounted to CNY 281…


Li Quiang

New Chinese Premier Li Qiang believes 5% growth target ‘will not be easy’

Link Securities | In his first press conference after becoming China’s new premier, Li Qiang said it will not be easy for China to reach the 5% growth target, and that it will require redoubled efforts. Li reiterated the specific policies developed last December at the Central Economic and Labour Conference (CEWC) and prioritised stability in growth, prices and employment. In addition, Li said China will coordinate macroeconomic policies by…


Xi Jinping

China’s 2023 Government Work Report: Safe growth target contrasts with bold employment objective

Alicia García Herrero (Natixis) | Against the backdrop of the recent reopening after three years of zero-Covid policies, the Chinese government, in the last government report of Prime Minister Li Keqiang during the Two Sessions, has set a GDP growth target of around 5% in 2023. Such a target is lower than our growth forecast of 5.5% for 2023, and lower than last year’s government target (5.5%). This is somewhat…


china central bank

PBOC continues to leave interest rates unchanged with January inflation at 2.1% – lower than other countries

Bankinter : The Central Bank keeps interest rates unchanged. The one-year benchmark stands at 3.65% and the five-year at 4.30%. OPINION: The PBOC is not making any changes, in line with expectations. It is one of the few central banks that maintains an accommodative monetary policy to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, the loss of global momentum, which impacts its exports, and the housing crisis. It is maintaining this…