China’s president, Xi Jinping, acknowledged in his new year’s message that “some enterprises had a tough time” in 2023 as data showed a weakening of factory production deepened this month, but he vowed to step up the pace of the economy’s recovery.
Speaking on TV, Xi said: “Along the way, we are bound to encounter headwinds. Some enterprises had a tough time. Some people had difficulty finding jobs and meeting basic needs.”
The Chinese leader also reiterated his intention to annex Taiwan, a self-governing democracy which Beijing claims is a Chinese province, saying it will “surely be reunified”.
The world’s second-biggest economy’s recovery remains sluggish, held back by a severe property slump, lacklustre global demand and record youth unemployment. Evergrande, once China’s biggest developer, has embarked on a painful debt restructuring process, while Country Garden, its main rival, defaulted in October.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
China’s president, Xi Jinping, acknowledged in his new year’s message that “some enterprises had a tough time” in 2023 as data showed a weakening of factory production deepened this month, but he vowed to step up the pace of the economy’s recovery.
The world’s second-biggest economy’s recovery remains sluggish, held back by a severe property slump, lacklustre global demand and record youth unemployment.
China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a closely watched survey, fell to 49 in December from 49.4 in November, below the 50 mark that divides growth from contraction.
China’s central bank said on Thursday that it would step up measures to support the economy and encourage a rebound in prices, amid signs of intensifying deflationary pressures.
“Externally, demand conditions from China’s key trading partners – the US and EU – are expected to be sluggish in the near term, thanks to elevated interest rates prevailing in those economies.
Taiwan is two weeks out from its own democratic presidential elections, and pressure from Beijing in the form of punitive trade tariffs, military activity, and disinformation has risen, according to Taiwanese officials.
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