Business
2019.07.01 16:53 GMT+8

China in focus with heightened overseas risks

Updated 2019.07.01 20:58 GMT+8
CGTN Global Business

China's growth outlook is the talk of the town at the Summer Davos 2019, officially known as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions by the World Economic Forum. Against the backdrop of the latest China-U.S. discussion, the trade war threat seems to be eliminated from global economics. Now, investors are turning back to China's economic fundamentals.

Meanwhile, Zhu Min, dean of National Financial Research Institute at Tsinghua University, said the world still faces potential risks from Britain's breakaway and China-U.S. trade friction. "It has eased down after the meeting of the two countries' leaders, which I think is a very good thing. But China-U.S. trade frictions are a fundamental change in the long-term relations between the two countries. Now it seems various political factors, obstructions and fluctuations still exist," he added.

Overseas risks and domestic growth are troubling China's economy. Experts said Chinese companies should beef up their own strengths to make the economy more resilient to global economic uncertainties, before China and the U.S. reach a long-lasting trade deal.

The reality is China has done phenomenally well in the consumer aspect of technology like WeChat and Douyin. Kevin Sneader, global managing partner of McKinsey, said these are two examples where China has been doing strongly well. "But when it comes to the industrial side, China is not doing as well (as that). It's still very reliant on others to provide software. The power of the industry is complex here in China," he added.

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Ning Gaoning, chairman of SinoChem Group, said the China-U.S. trade friction is a lesson alerting Chinese companies to think more long-term and pay more attention to technology. "Businesses will become more persistent with long-term plans," he said.

Meanwhile, based on the data coming out of key markets like the U.S. and Europe, the overseas demand for Chinese goods will be weak. So China has to rely on its home turf for economic growth. Kevin Sneader emphasized the declining employment rate is a big concern.

"First and foremost, we are seeing the saving rates decline, we are seeing more consumers spending, but the working population is flat to declining. So I think the real question we got to answer is -- will China's consumer-driven economy move fast enough? And will it be engaged in a productivity revolution versus where it is today?" he said.

While industry insiders said the fight for GDP remains the foundation for the government's work, China promises to focus on quality over quantity. That means every gain in GDP should be a gain in jobs.

(CGTN's Xia Cheng also contributed to this story)

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