Page 11 - China Economic Growth

StanChart lowers income target as China weighs, launches $1 bn buyback

StanChart also said it would aim to increase returns on tangible equity, a key profitability metric, "steadily" from the current 10% to 12% by 2026

Despite China's pressure, Taiwan reiterates cooperation with Palau

The Ministry said in a statement that Taiwan has long supported Palau in tourism development in a bid to strengthen the Pacific nation's "economic resilience and sustainability"

China's ongoing property crisis is starting to ripple across the world

The 60 Curzon residential development in Mayfair where insolvency experts from Interpath Advisory have been appointed

China's consumer prices suffer steepest fall in more than 14 years

Citigroup economists said in a research note last week that they expect mild reflation in 2024, and forecast annual CPI inflation at 1.2 per cent year-on-year

Chinese state fund to expand share holdings to help support equity markets

A Chinese state investment fund has promised to expand its purchases of stock index funds to help markets that have been sagging under heavy selling pressure from a property crisis and slowing economy. Shares logged moderate gains on Tuesday after the announcement by Central Huijin Investment, a Chinese sovereign fund that owns China's state-run banks and other big government-controlled enterprises. The fund has stepped up buying of shares in big state-owned banks and other companies to counter heavy selling pressure in the Chinese markets. On Monday, benchmarks in Shanghai and the smaller market in Shenzhen bounced between small gains and big losses, while share prices of state-run banks and other big companies rose. The move followed warnings by the market regulator of a crackdown on market manipulation, insider trading and other abuses and promises to protect smaller investors who usually account for the majority of trading in Chinese markets. The market watchdog, the China ...

China's factory activity shrinks again in January, demand still weak

The composite PMI, which includes manufacturing and services, was at a four-month high of 50.9 in January compared with 50.3 the previous month

Taiwan CAA protests China's unilateral adjustment of flight routes

Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) protested China's unilateral adjustment of flight routes close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday

Court orders Evergrande to liquidate after it failed to reach debt deal

A Hong Kong court on Monday ordered property developer China Evergrande Group to liquidate after it was unable to reach a restructuring deal with creditors. Judge Linda Chan said it was appropriate for the court to order Evergrande to wind up its business given a lack of progress on the part of the company putting forward a viable restructuring proposal as well as Evergrande's insolvency. Evergrande was granted an earlier reprieve after it said it was attempting to refine a new debt restructuring plan of more than USD 300 billion in liabilities. Evergrande, the world's most indebted property developer, is one of many property firms that ran into trouble when Chinese regulators cracked down on excessive borrowing in the real estate sector. The company first defaulted on its financial obligations in 2021, just over a year after Beijing clamped down on lending to property developers in an effort to cool a property bubble.

China doubles down on moves to mend its economy, fend off financial crisis

China's leaders launched a barrage of new policies this week to prop up languishing financial markets and rekindle growth in the world's second-largest economy. The moves to support lending and spending with billions of dollars of fresh cash gathered pace when the central bank cut bank reserve requirements and issued new rules to encourage banks to lend more to property companies. A collapse in China's real estate market has been one of the key factors hindering the country's recovery from the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. What's at stake: stable financial markets and a major driver of global economic growth. HOW IS THE CHINESE ECONOMY DOING? The Chinese economy grew at a 5.2% annual pace in 2023, exceeding the government's target, and many indicators including factory output and retail sales show signs of improvement. But most economists are forecasting a slowdown this year and next that will drag on global growth. Meanwhile, Chinese stock markets have swooned since late 2023,

China expands access to loans for developers, acting to end debt crisis

China has rolled out new rules meant to expand access to commercial bank loans for property developers as Beijing doubles down on its effort to end a prolonged crisis in the real estate industry. The policies will allow real estate companies to use bank loans pledged against commercial properties such as offices and shopping malls to repay their other loans and bonds and to cover operating expenses. They were announced late Wednesday by the People's Bank of China, the National Financial Regulatory Administration and the Finance Ministry. Beijing has moved this week to stabilise ailing financial markets and boost the economy by freeing up more money for lending in various ways. That includes cutting required bank reserves. The flurry of new measures and pronouncements from senior Communist Party officials about the need to stabilise financial markets and build confidence in the economy, the world's second largest, appears to reflect a renewed determination to get growth back on ...

China cuts reserve requirements for bank to help boost its slowing economy

China's central bank said Wednesday it will cut the ratio of reserves banks must hold to help boost the slowing economy. The announcement by the People's Bank of China prompted a surge in share prices in Chinese markets, with Hong Kong's benchmark jumping 3.6%. Central bank Gov. Pan Gongsheng said the deposit reserve requirement would be cut by 0.5% as of Feb. 5. Pan said that would inject about 1 trillion yuan ($141 billion) into the economy. He told reporters in Beijing that the central bank also soon plans to issue a policy on lending to property developers to help support the industry.

12.44 mn urban jobs added in 2023, more effort needed this year: China

For the full year of 2023, the average nationwide survey-based jobless rate dropped to 5.2 per cent from 5.6 per cent in 2022

7.1-magnitude earthquake rattles part of western China, leaving 6 injured

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck a remote part of China's western Xinjiang region early Tuesday, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. Xinhua cited the China Earthquake Networks Centre as saying the quake rocked Wushu county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2 am local time. The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred in the Tian Shan mountain range, a seismically active region, though earthquakes of this size occur somewhat infrequently. It said the largest quake in the area in the past century was a 7.1-magnitude one in 1978 about 200 kilometres to the north of one early Tuesday. State broadcaster CCTV said there were several aftershocks since the main quake, registering up to 4.5 magnitude. Tremors were felt as far away as the neighboring countries Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In the Kazakh capital of Almaty, people left their homes, the Russian news agency Tass reported.

Oil drops slightly on China demand concerns but records weekly gain

Brent futures settled 54 cents lower at $78.56 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 67 cents to settle at $73.41

Suspicions arise on accuracy of China's official GDP growth data: Report

One divergence centers around Beijing's investment data, which shows surging manufacturing and infrastructure spending outweighed the drag from property

China's economy expanded 5.2% in 2023, though recovery seems uneven

China's economy for the October-December quarter grew at a quicker rate, allowing the Chinese government to hit its target of about 5 per cent annual growth for 2023 even though trade data and the economic recovery remain uneven. Official data released on Wednesday showed that the Chinese economy grew 5.2 per cent for 2023, surpassing the target of about 5 per cent that the government had set. The growth for 2023 is likely helped by 2022's GDP of just 3 per cent as China's economy slowed due to COVID-19 and nationwide lockdowns during the pandemic. For the fourth quarter, China's gross domestic product also grew at 5.2 per cent compared to the same time last year. On a quarterly basis, the economy rose 1 per cent in Q4, slowing from the expansion of 1.3 per cent in July-September. Officials from China's National Bureau of Statistics said that measures including strengthened macro regulation, and redoubled efforts to expand domestic demand, optimize structure, boost confidence and .

Chinese exports decline 4.6% after seven years amid economic crisis

Amid the economic crisis, Chinese exports saw a downfall for the first time since 2016 after global demand for Chinese-made goods slowed in 2023

China's exports rise, but deflation persists as economy enters 2024

Analysts also anticipate that interest rates will drop at least 1.5 percentage points in the United States and Europe this year, which should improve demand for imported goods

India gave strong investment performance in 2023; headwinds in China: UN

India registered strong investment performance in 2023, driven by government infrastructure projects and multinational investments, the United Nations has said while noting that investment prospects in China face "headwinds" from a struggling property sector. The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2024 report, launched here on Thursday, said that investment has been more resilient in developing economies than in developed economies. Investment in South Asia, particularly in India, remained strong in 2023. Investment prospects in China face headwinds from a struggling property sector, though government-led infrastructure investments are partially offsetting the shortfall in private investments. In contrast, India registered strong investment performance in 2023, driven by government infrastructure projects and multinational investments, the report said. Among the developing regions, Africa, Western Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean continue to struggle with high

China expects int'l flights reaching 80% of pre-Covid levels by 2024 end

It added that for the year ahead it would continue to promote a "significant" increase in direct flights between China and the United States from 63 flights presently