China’s economic growth improved notably from early 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, but most recent data seem to point to loss of momentum following policy tightening from the central bank and financial regulators. The latest development raises add to the long list of open questions about the Chinese economy, in particularly ahead of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party, due to be held this coming autumn:
- Can the Chinese economy maintain its growth momentum?
- Will the policy tightening, especially financial regulations on shadow banking, trigger a crisis?
- What is the progress on rebalancing of the Chinese economy toward domestic engines of growth and in particular consumption?
- What can we expect from the 19th Congress?