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China+ Publications

Below is a list of our China+ Publications for the last 5 months. If you are looking for reports older than 5 months please email info@pantheonmacro.com, or contact your account rep

Please use the filters on the right to search for a specific date or topic.

Daily Monitor

21 April 2026 China+ Monitor China rates steady on NIM pressure; ample liquidity cushioning growth

  • China’s LPRs and de-facto policy rate were unchanged in April, amid pressure on banks’ margins.
  • Banks started a new round of deposit-rate cuts, given the liquidity glut in the system from weak loan demand.
  • The MoF is offering ultra-long special bonds at record levels, taking advantage of the risk-averse mood.

17 April 2026 China+ Monitor All that glitters is not gold: China's flawed Q1 GDP print

  • China’s GDP growth rose to 5.0% in Q1, but it was highly dependent on robust exports...
  • ...Which are likely to slow as the oil price shock hits global growth.
  • Real household spending slowed and underlying consumption activity remains sluggish.

16 April 2026 China+ Monitor China's trade surplus squeezed by tech-led import surge

  • China’s trade surplus narrowed sharply in March, as import strength outpaced exports, hit by payback.
  • The import surge was led by high-tech items, with price effects outweighing geopolitical energy dynamics.
  • Exports were distorted by LNY effects, but underlying momentum was notably weaker for the Global South.

14 April 2026 China+ Monitor China's credit data indicates areas of stronger activity

  • China’s March credit data, albeit soft overall, points to a tentative private credit revival in select areas.
  • Rising pre-existing home sales likely drove mortgage demand; bottoming out is happening albeit slowly.
  • Policy-driven infrastructure investment probably supported improving underlying corporate credit.

9 April 2026 China+ Monitor Iran war hits China via trade channel, but with limited impact

  • China has ramped up energy production from alternative sources in the wake of the Iran war.
  • China has seen limited trade spillover; East Asian PMIs show a common theme of higher oil-driven input costs.
  • Hong Kong’s PMI plunged on war uncertainty, with price pressures yet to feed through. 

1 April 2026 China+ Monitor China shrugs off initial impact of oil-price storm

  • The official March PMIs support our view that China will be relatively resilient to the energy-price shock.
  • Output and demand activity indicators were solid, despite the surging manufacturing input price gauge.
  • Private-sector sentiment took a small dent in March, but nothing like the fall amid last year’s tariff war.

25 March 2026 China+ Monitor BoJ signalling readiness to respond to prolonged oil-price shock

  • Governor Ueda said yesterday he expects a moderate rise in underlying inflation...
  • ...The BoJ’s base case appears to be a swift oil-price fall, with little effect on the long-term inflation outlook.
  • But persistently sky-high energy prices would drive up food prices and could force an April rate hike.

24 March 2026 China+ Monitor China's residential market still grinding through high inventories

  • China residential property market remains in the doldrums, with a 43% drop in sales month-to-date…
  • …Construction area is still declining, while developer funding improved slightly thanks to policy support.
  • Korea’s 20-day exports maintained robust growth in March, riding strong semiconductor demand.

20 March 2026 China+ Monitor BoJ stands pat amid oil-price risks; MPC members split on inflation

  • The BoJ held the policy rate yesterday, unsurprisingly given the ever-changing oil-price situation.
  • Governor Ueda is keeping options open, amid different views on inflation among voting members.
  • Our base case is a July rate hike, assuming oil prices fall in the coming months; but April is not ruled out.

19 March 2026 China+ Monitor China less exposed to the oil-price jolt than Japan

  • China faces the likely prospect of a modest bump in consumer inflation from the oil-price surge...
  • ...Soft pork prices are likely to partly offset higher energy costs; but producer inflation could swing dramatically.
  • Japan would be more vulnerable to an oil price at $150 per barrel, forcing an early BoJ rate hike.

17 March 2026 China+ Monitor China's fundamentals yet to turn a corner; still, better than late 2025

  • China’s activity data for the first two months of this year paint a brighter picture than we expected...
  • ...But stronger consumption is largely a temporary effect of higher spending during the extended holiday.
  • Policy-supported infrastructure investment rebounded earlier than we expected; property sector is still weak.

13 March 2026 China+ Monitor China's robust exports reduce pressure to spur domestic demand

  • China’s exports sustained a robust performance in the first two months of 2026...
  • ...Meaning policymakers feel little pressure to spur domestic demand in the near term.
  • Falling land sales in the first two months point to sustained property investment weakness.

10 March 2026 China+ Monitor China's low inflation cushions against energy-price shock

  • China’s consumer inflation in January-February, at 0.8%, was in line with the previous two months.
  • Low inflation and sluggish domestic demand leave ample room to absorb an energy-price surge. 
  • Producer inflation continued to improve in February, thanks to oil and non-ferrous metals prices. 

6 March 2026 China+ Monitor China seeks to project stability, while gradually patching up domestic issues

  • Premier Li set a lower growth target for 2026, as we expected, to put the focus on structural adjustment…
  • …China is reliant on export growth, but that could be in jeopardy given geopolitical tensions and trade risks.
  • Korea would be more vulnerable than Japan and China to a prolonged oil-price spike.

5 March 2026 China+ Monitor China NPC and Paris trade talks unfold amid escalating US-Iran conflict

  • China’s NPC meeting commences today; we expect a lower growth target and a focus on tech self-reliance…
  • …US-China trade representatives will meet in Paris next weekend, ahead of April’s Xi-Trump Beijing summit. 
  • The conflict in Iran likely adds 0.1pp to East Asian inflation over a few months, due to logistics issues.

4 March 2026 China+ Monitor Industrial sector prioritisation limits China's options for rebalancing

  • Premier Li is likely to trim the 2025 growth target tomorrow, putting the focus on medium-term goals.
  • China will probably step up the rhetoric on consumption, but without the matching substance.
  • Policymakers are reluctant to shift support away from industrial policy, seen as key to China’s success.

27 February 2026 China+ Monitor BoK's dot-plot signals no near-term rate changes as stability risk lingers

  • The Bank of Korea stood pat in February, and introduced longer-term forward guidance on rate direction.
  • Governor Rhee cited persistent financial stability risk and a stronger growth outlook as reasons to hold.
  • The newly introduced Fed-style dot-plot suggests no change in policy rate for at least six months.

24 February 2026 China+ Monitor Korean exports take off, thanks to AI boom driving chip demand

  • Booming Korean exports in the first 20 days of February are mainly a semiconductor story…
  • …Chip exports skyrocketed almost 180% thanks to rising prices and volumes.
  • The BoK is likely to hold rates on Friday, despite soft activity outside the tech sector.

19 February 2026 China+ Monitor Five China themes in 2026: momentum but no boom in the Year of the Horse

  • China’s growth will slow as it matures, with speed giving way to stability and structural adjustment.
  • Property remains a drag, with sustained producer and consumer reflation unlikely until the market troughs.
  • The PBoC is promoting a stronger RMB, while the temporary US trade truce masks a power rivalry.

17 February 2026 China+ Monitor China starting to recognise the need for a fresh property policy

  • Fresh thinking on China’s property market is emerging, but with no new policy ideas just yet.
  • The new view stresses property as household wealth and thus linked to consumption demand.
  • The back-and-forth in state support for Vanke hints at tensions as to how to tackle the developer debt crisis.
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