Fri, 01/20/2012 - 11:52
China's growth set to slow in Year of the Dragon
Shanghai. January 19. INTERFAX-CHINA - By any number of measures, China's economy continues to barrel forward at an envious clip. But as the nation prepares to begin the week-long Chinese New Year/Spring festival holiday, there is little doubt but that the world's second largest economy is headed for a slowdown. As it attempts to maintain stable growth, Beijing has proceeded in fits and start, tightening then loosening money supplies. With Europe on the brink and the outlook for the U.S. uncertain, it is unlikely that China will be able to export its way out of what is shaping up to be a very challenging year. Policies aimed at stimulating domestic consumption do not seem to be gaining traction. On a positive note, China's outbound investment continues to climb, with acquisitions in 2011 hitting a high mark of $43 billion. A voracious appetite for resources is fueling outbound M&A, and this trend is unlikely to ebb in the near future. INTERFAX-CHINA will resume publishing on Monday, January 30. We extend our best wishes for a healthy and prosperous Chinese New Year.
