Chinese Economics Thread

sanblvd

Junior Member
Registered Member
This is HUGE news, Dong Bei area of China has always been undeveloped due to lack of sea port, look like they are signing contract with Russia to transit through the Vladivostok port, that means cost of transport will be a lot lower, this will help.

China, Russia plan deal on new Far East transport routes


Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


As China’s leader Xi Jinping visits Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, deals worth US$10 billion may be signed between the two neighbors, according to media reports.

Xi’s visit on July 3-4 will include possible signing of other agreements, including joint development of two international transport and trade corridors in the Russian Far East to link China’s landlocked northeast provinces to Pacific ports.

Analysts estimate that Chinese freight transporters could save up to $700 million a year using these shorter routes. Investment in the two transport projects is estimated at about $5 billion, mostly on roads, rail and ports.

As much attention is focused on China’s so-called One Belt One Road initiative linking the country with South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, talks on these Far East transport corridors fly under the radar. But the links are nonetheless vital for the regions involved.

The Russian Ministry for the Development of the Far East held extensive talks in June on building the infrastructure and the management of the corridors — known as Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 — with authorities in the Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin, according to Russian officials.



Alexander Osipov, first deputy minister of the Russian Ministry for Development of the Far East, explained his talks with the vice governor of Heilongjiang, Jia Yumei.

“The best description of what we’re doing came from Ms Jia Yumei, who said that ‘Finally, Heilongjiang will have its own seashore,’” Osipov told reporters.

The projects also align with the commitment of the two countries to integrate the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union with China’s OBOR initiative.

“Our research shows that the total cargo traffic on the two routes could reach 45 million metric tons a year, counting container cargo and grains,” Alexander Galushka, the minister for the Development of the Far East, told reporters. “We expect a rate of return of at least 10 percent on the investment,” he said.

While the projects still require much work, cargo traffic on the routes is growing quickly.

In 2014, 7.8 million tons of goods traveled the routes. In 2016, it was up to 11.3 million tons.

“Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 will play a role in the enormous transport network of the whole continent,” Mikhail Kholosha, a transport analyst and deputy research director at OO DNIIMF-Vostochny, told Asia Times.

Kholosha said the southern area of Far East Russia, the Primorsky Krai, can create a modern transport infrastructure hub centered on Vladivostok as a free port.

“Ports are more effective and powerful when they are used as hubs in a longer transport chain as opposed to being the end-point of a particular route,” Kholosha said.
 
now I read
Economic Watch: Why "Made in China" makes U.S. better off Xinhua| 2017-07-06 21:13:31
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

While "Buy American" sentiment might be picking up steam in Washington and corporate America, it is a quirky reality that celebrations of U.S. Independence Day depend on China.

On July 4, Americans celebrated the annual festivity with fireworks, flags and outdoor grills -- the lion's share made in China.

The U.S. Census Bureau has said that Americans imported more than 300 million U.S. dollars worth of fireworks last year, 96 percent of which came from, you guessed it, China.

"We buy some fireworks from Mexico, but they're not as good as the Chinese. They've [Chinese] been making them for so many thousands of years. China does such a fantastic job," said Don Lantis, president of the National Fireworks Association.

While Independence Day is the most popular time of the year for Americans to fly the Stars and Stripes and cook outdoors, a vast majority of their flags and grills are from China.

He might not like it, but while U.S. President Donald Trump begs people to "Buy American," even making it a national slogan, American consumers have decided that what matters most is getting good prices.

Trade with China helps each American family save 850 dollars every year, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. From lamps to birthday candles, from flip-flops to mouse traps, Americans would find life an ordeal if they had to live a day without "Made in China."

As China has become the largest trading partner of the United States, some U.S. politicians blame China for bringing about a large trade deficit at the cost of U.S. jobs. However, this is jingoistic nonsense, as the facts and figures clearly point the other way.

About 40 percent of China's trade surplus is generated by U.S. companies in China, while bilateral trade and mutual investment in 2015 created 2.6 million jobs for the United States.

It is structural issues that contribute to the trade imbalances between the two countries, according to Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Tracking a trade deficit is misleading. All that [trade deficit] means that we in the United States consume more," said Tori K. Whiting, a research associate at Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation.

Experts say that to address these imbalances, which have been the focus of the Trump administration's trade policy toward China, both countries should carry out structural reforms rather than just narrow the trade deficit.

Meanwhile, China's current account has become more balanced in recent years. The share of its current account surplus to gross domestic product dropped below 2 percent in 2016, compared with about 9.9 percent in 2007.

To balance bilateral trade, the two countries agreed to take action to expand trade in beef and chicken, and increase access for U.S. financial firms, among steps as part of the initial result of a 100-day action plan.

At the end of June, China received the first shipment of U.S. beef after a 14-year ban, and with a rising middle class, industry insiders predict China will become a major importer of U.S. beef.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has said that this is tremendous news for the beef industry, cattle farmers and the U.S. economy in general.

In reciprocity, the United States has also greenlit imports of cooked poultry from China.

It is better for both sides to address economic differences such as trade imbalances through candid dialogue, said Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei.

"Further opening up markets, promoting bilateral investment, and strengthening trade ties at the local level could contribute to stronger and closer economic ties between China and the United States," he said.

"We believe Sino-U.S. economic cooperation is the trend of the times. We will continue to move forward," said Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao.
 

antiterror13

Brigadier
Of course it is a good value products from China. China doesn't force you to buy their products, China just make what the market want ... the market want cheap product ... China make them .. also China makes very high quality products with a premium price based on what market want

So, when we buy $1 tool made in China and then it breaks after a few weeks .. don't complain and compare it with $100 tool made in USA/Japan. If you want to compare the quality of $100 tool made in USA/Japan ... then buy $50 tool made in China ... you will see the quality would be the same even better

In many cases, we don't need $100 tool anyway .... $1 tool just does the job :p:p:p
 

MrCrazyBoyRavi

Junior Member
Registered Member
Of course it is a good value products from China. China doesn't force you to buy their products, China just make what the market want ... the market want cheap product ... China make them .. also China makes very high quality products with a premium price based on what market want

So, when we buy $1 tool made in China and then it breaks after a few weeks .. don't complain and compare it with $100 tool made in USA/Japan. If you want to compare the quality of $100 tool made in USA/Japan ... then buy $50 tool made in China ... you will see the quality would be the same even better

In many cases, we don't need $100 tool anyway .... $1 tool just does the job :p:p:p
haha spot on
 

Franklin

Captain
As China moves up the value chain South Korea is beginning to feel the heat. With the display and semiconductor industry being the exception.

Korea's High-Tech Economy Threatened by Chinese Catch-up

China is only six months behind in information technology

South Korea is famous as a high-tech powerhouse, from Samsung’s smartphones, the world’s fastest internet connection speed and world-beating innovation.

And while presidential hopefuls are laying out plans to develop new technology to drive the economy over the next five years, here is a reality check: the advantage of Korean companies over their Chinese competitors is closing fast.

In five years’ time there’ll be little difference between the tech of Chinese and Korean companies in most sectors, including high-end smart phones, wearable devices, memory chips, and smart electronics, according to a report by the state-run think-tank Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade.

“Of the main industries, it seems Korea has a competitive edge over China only in the semiconductor and display sectors,” said Kim Hyeon-wook, an economist at SK Research Institute in Seoul. “The government shouldn’t sit back, but needs to create a cohesive blueprint that sets the agenda and necessary reforms to move forward.”

The “Made in China 2025" strategy aims to push the world’s second-largest economy beyond labor-intensive work into more sophisticated sectors, from robotics to aerospace. It will enable increasingly advanced industries and make its companies into Korea’s “strong rivals,” according to the industrial think-tank’s report.

China’s rapid catch-up in technology comes as Korea struggles to find new growth engines to replace traditional manufacturing such as shipbuilding, which has struggled recently. And the rivalry is especially stark in new technologies.

800x-1.png


According to a report by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology, the average gap with China on 24 key industries like biotechnology and displays was 0.9 years. This means if Korean companies make no effort, China would catch up in that amount of time.

“China’s improvement of industry is changing the structure of the value chain between Korea and China,” according to Cho Chuel, the director of Chinese industry research at Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade. Rather than the previous vertical structure where Korea made value-added, high technology products, competition will become more equal, and Korea will need to invest more to produce competitive products, he said.

“I would like to see new policies that can fundamentally change Korea’s industrial structure,” said Lim Hyun-seo, the chief executive officer of Tankerfund, a peer-to-peer platform startup in Korea. “Korea has highly sophisticated industries, but there needs to be a discussion on how the country can prosper from here.”

800x-1.png


The candidates for president are also pushing policies on supporting artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and robots, although it remains to be seen if these outlast the term of whoever wins. Previous governments laid out plans to boost industrial competitiveness -- such as former President Park Geun-hye’s creative economy initiative and Lee Myung-bak’s green growth agenda -- but they were short-lived due to political change.

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

Lethe

Captain
So the 2017 edition of the UN's World Population Prospects publication has been
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, and I've been perusing it. Of course there are any number of interesting narratives to emerge from such data and discussions to be had, but one thing I specifically looked at was the narrative of Russian decline, where of course it is well known that Russia's demographics are, along with those of Japan and Germany, amongst the worst faced by presently large and powerful nations.

So the first thing I note is that projections of Russia's long-term decline continue to abate. In the 2012 edition of the WPP, Russia's 2100 population was projected to be 71% of its then (2012) population. In the 2017 edition, Russia's 2100 population is projected to be 86% of its current (2017) population.

But most relevantly, the latest projections for Russia's declining population are very much in line with those for another country: China.

Projected population in 2060 as a proportion of 2017 population, selected countries
Nigeria: 272%
Australia: 149%
India: 128%
USA: 126%
UK: 118%
South Korea: 94%
Germany: 94%
China: 92%
Russia: 90%
Italy: 88%
Japan: 80%
 
  1. The new line of 401 km long TGV Baoji-Lanzhou has just started the testing phase, the inauguration is expected by July.

    DBZ3KpNXYAARh2C.jpg


and
New high speed railway linking Baoji, Lanzhou starts operation
Xinhua| 2017-07-09 17:02:26
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The bullet train D2685 leaves Xi'an North Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 9, 2017. A new high speed railway linking Baoji city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province with Lanzhou, capital of neighboring Gansu Province, started operation Sunday. Thanks to the new route, northwest China's Gansu and Qinghai provinces as well as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have been connected to the national high-speed rail network. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)
136430039_14995951484631n.jpg
 
Jun 3, 2017
let me see ...
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

I knew where's Lanzhou (OK "knew" to the extent I would start looking in the middle of China :) I don't know how came, perhaps because I previously looked at Lanzhou - Urumchi line), I of course didn't know where's Baoji, which is now marked:
ul5vQ.jpg
the map shows the whole Xian - Urumchi segment
and (it's from the photo gallery linked in the post right above):
Photo taken on July 9, 2017 shows a bullet train running on a bridge in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province. A new high speed railway linking Baoji city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province with Lanzhou, capital of neighboring Gansu Province, started operation Sunday. Thanks to the new route, northwest China's Gansu and Qinghai provinces as well as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have been connected to the national high-speed rail network. (Xinhua/Li Zenghui)
136430039_14995906327861n.jpg
 
now I read
China to deepen reforms to promote mass entrepreneurship, innovation
Xinhua| 2017-07-12 20:20:43
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

China's cabinet on Wednesday adopted guidelines with detailed measures to boost mass entrepreneurship to achieve innovation-driven growth.

China will deepen reforms in innovation-driven development to expand the scope and lift the level of mass entrepreneurship and public innovation, according to a statement released after the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
.

Promotion of mass entrepreneurship and innovation will help boost employment, optimize economic structure and facilitate shift of growth engines, the statement added.

The government will streamline their management procedures and reduce market barriers to offer efficient services for market players.

Meanwhile, China will expand financing channels for start-ups, encourage industrial upgrading and improve policy support for entrepreneurial and innovative professionals, according to the statement.
 
now I read
Economic Watch: China on right track to attain economic goals
Xinhua| 2017-07-12 20:00:27
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Ahead of Q2 economic data release, analysts are expressing confidence in China's growth momentum and its ability to attain annual economic goals.

Next Monday, the National Bureau of Statistics will hold a press conference on economic performance and release a series of important Q2 and June figures, including
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, fixed asset investment, industrial production and retail sales.

The market consensus for Q2 economic growth is 6.8 percent, slightly lower than Q1 figure of 6.9 percent, the fastest pace in six quarters on the back of robust factory activity, strong consumption and rebounding exports.

The slight downward trend comes from government efforts to rebalance the economy in pursuit of better quality and efficiency, including destocking, deleveraging and property curbs, according to Ren Zeping, chief economist at Founder Securities.

Ren has forecast GDP growth to be 6.8 percent in Q2, 6.7 percent in Q3 and 6.6 percent in Q4.

Though the trajectory is not looking very good, it still corroborates the resilience and sound momentum of the economy.

If the projection is realized, the annual growth will be well above the government target of 6.5 percent.

"General economic stabilization does not mean that economic growth always holds at a specific level, but it may have mild fluctuations at a relatively stable level," said Li Wei, head of the Development Research Center of the State Council.

The economy is not short of stabilizing signs.

On Tuesday, the country's state asset supervising authority announced strong profit growth for centrally administered state-owned enterprises in first half, with combined profits up 15.8 percent to 722 billion yuan (about 106 billion U.S. dollars).

The strong performance was attributed to improvement in the Chinese economy, progress in supply-side structural reform and government efforts to enhance their competitiveness.

The consumer price index, a main gauge of inflation, rose 1.4 percent in the first half, much lower than the government target of holding inflation at around 3 percent.

The producer price index, an important indicator of production activities, rose 6.6 percent in the first half, reversing a decline of 1.4 percent for last year.

Manufacturing activity also beat market expectations in June, as the purchasing managers' index for the manufacturing sector stood at 51.7 points in June, higher than 51 for the ninth month and pointing to continued expansion.

"China should consolidate the foundation for the stable economic performance with sound growth momentum," Premier
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
said last week when meeting entrepreneurs and experts.

The country will continue to stabilize macroeconomic policies, market expectations and the financial market by sticking to its proactive fiscal policy and prudent monetary policy, taking forward-looking and effective macroeconomic regulation measures, and properly defusing risks, the premier added.

Efforts will also be made to ensure stable employment, reduce corporate burden, expand effective investment and make consumption play a larger role in economic growth.

"China's economy is seeing an increasing number of favorable conditions for realizing a medium-high growth, and the country can surely attain its annual growth target," Li Wei said.

Last month, staff at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made a preliminary forecast for China's growth this year at 6.7 percent, higher than the 6.6 percent projection in the IMF World Economic Outlook report issued in April.

China has the potential to "safely sustain strong growth" over the medium term as it continues to move onto a more sustainable growth path and advance reforms, said David Lipton, IMF first deputy managing director.
 
Top