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Asia, Market, World

Press Conference: World Economic Outlook Update, July 2024

DE HARO:  So good morning everyone, and welcome to this virtual Press Briefing.  I'm Jose Luis de Haro with the Communications Department here at the International Monetary Fund, and we are gathered here today for the launch of the World Economic Outlook Update.  I hope that by this time you all have access to the document.  If not, I will encourage you to go to imf.org.  There you will find the flagship, but also Pierre-Olivier’s blog and other assets that might be helpful for your reporting.  And to discuss the World Economic Outlook Update today, we are joined by Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas.  He is the Chief Economist and the Director of the Research Department.  Next to him are Petya Koeva Brooks, she is the Deputy Director of the Research Depa...
Asia, Market, World

The ‘Second China Shock’ and its Implications for Southeast Asia

The term ‘second China shock’ has been coined to describe China’s changing role in the global economy.  China’s aggregation of global manufacturing capacity and progress up technological ladders appears increasingly not as a passing phase in transition to a consumption and services-led economy. Rather, it is a lasting phenomenon that is reshaping the world economy and politics. Few countries will be more impacted by this than those in ASEAN, whose economies are already closely entwined with China’s. The guiding thread in Chinese economic and industrial policy is to develop ‘new quality productive forces’, based on advancing domestic capacities in science and technology (S&T). The government work report delivered at China’s last legislative session earlier this year priori...
Asia, China, Market, USA, World

Will China ever overtake the US economy?

The idea of China's outstripping the United States to become the world's largest economy has been a fixation for policymakers and economists for decades. What will happen, they argue, when the US — one of the most dynamic, productive economies — is usurped by an authoritarian regime with a workforce of 750 million? Predictions of when exactly China would steal the US's crown have come thick and fast ever since the 2008/9 financial crisis, which hampered growth in the United States and Europe for many years. Before what became known as the Great Recession, China saw double-digit annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth for at least five years. In the decade following the crisis, China's economy continued to expand by 6%-9% annually. That is, until COVID-1...
Asia, Market, USA, World

India beckons UK and France after Europe’s election earthquakes

Seismic election upheavals in Britain and France have redrawn the political landscape of Europe, and the ripple effects could reshape trade dynamics with Asian growth engines like India and Southeast Asia in the months ahead. Voters’ economic anxieties propelled the UK’s Labour Party to a landslide win, toppling the Conservatives after 14 years in power. Across the English Channel, the left-wing New Popular Front coalition secured the most seats in France’s hung parliament. For Britain’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, resetting ties with the European Union will top his agenda. But his “pragmatic” government will also be keen to engage with Asia’s emerging, surging economies, analysts say. “They see Asian tiger economie...
Asia, China, Market, World

The global evolution
of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation

The annual meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) – the political, economic, security and defence organisation established by China and Russia in 2001 – have long attracted international attention. This year’s summit on 3-4 July, however, took on a new gravity, set against the backdrop of the Russia–Ukraine war, escalating tensions between Russia and the West, enduring strains in China–US relations, and the dynamics surrounding the US elections. The SCO is seeking to evolve from a regional security framework to powerful geopolitical entity. The recent accession of Russian ally Belarus to membership represents a push to transform the grouping in Eurasia as well as a move towards countering Western institutions led by the United States an...
Market, USA, World

US inflation cools – plus other economics stories to read this week

1. US inflation cools, raising hopes Price increases in the US slowed significantly in June, raising hopes that the world's largest economy is moving past the high inflation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.The Labor Department's Bureau of Statistics reported a 3% rise in prices over the year to June, the slowest rate in a year, driven by lower petrol prices and moderating rents, Reuters reports. However, food prices and shelter costs both rose 0.2% in June, while grocery prices are up 1.1% and housing costs by 5.2% compared to the month before. This marks the third consecutive month of declining inflation, lessening financial pressures on households and leading analysts to predict the Federal Reserve could lower interest rates as early as September. "Barring rogue...
<strong>Potential tariffs on Chinese EVs spark retaliation concerns and trade tensions in Canada</strong>
Asia, China, World

Potential tariffs on Chinese EVs spark retaliation concerns and trade tensions in Canada

Canada has begun evaluating the impact of China’s alleged unfair trade practices on its electric vehicle (EV) market, leaving China unhappy and perturbed. This decision follows actions by the US and the European Commission, Canada’s international partners, which have recently responded to unfair competition in their EV industries. The purpose of the consultation, which will continue until August 1, is to assess the risk of Canada’s EV market being inundated with cheaper Chinese plug-ins. Experts have not ruled out the possibility of retaliation from China. If Canada imposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, two trade experts predict that the world’s second-largest economy will forcefully retaliate. Rachel Ziemba, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, s...
Asia, China, Market, World

In charts: the changing picture of China’s outbound study

Disruption to the upward trend From 2010 to 2019 the number of outbound Chinese students grew at an average annual rate of 9.5%, making the country the biggest source of international students globally. However, this rapid growth was disrupted by the pandemic that emerged in 2020. The virus (and China’s subsequent restrictive policy) caused profound damage to the country’s student mobility. The number of outbound students plummeted by 36% year on year in 2020, according to a report by the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG), a think‑tank.  Although the number of outbound students has been climbing after the initial hit from the pandemic, it remains well below the potential trend that would have manifested had the pandemic not occurred. In the meantime, the picture of...
Asia, China, Market, Singapore, USA, World

Review of climate-related financial disclosure regimes around the world

1. Australia On 27 March 2024, the Australian Government released the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (Cth) (Bill) outlining the implementation of the country’s proposed mandatory CRFD regime. The Bill contained only minor amendments to the original exposure draft developed by the Treasury at the start of 2023. The Bill is currently before Parliament, where it has passed the Lower House without amendment and is expected to pass the Upper House by the end of June or early July 2024. It is proposed that the reporting requirements will be phased in over the next few years across three groups of corporations. These groups will be determined based on whether companies meet at least two of the three criteria pertaining to re...
Asia, Market, World

Global economic outlook: Charting different courses

The pandemic was a common, global shock for all economies that led to very synchronized outcomes. Nearly all economies experienced deep recessions and subsequent strong recoveries because of pent-up demand and policy stimulus. Associated with that, nearly all economies had unexpected surges in inflation, which resulted in aggressive rate hiking cycles. As the world shifts further away from the pandemic shock, there starts to be a desynchronization and more variation in economic growth, inflation and monetary policy, said Rob Subbaraman, Nomura’s Head of Global Macro Research. There are many megatrends that are unfolding, such as artificial intelligence, geopolitical rifts, climate change, demographic change, elections in major economies and high and still-rising public debt, so it is i...