Economy Talk

China's Q3 report card, marked by a very strict teacher!

I've graded a lot of essays in my time so let's do this properly!

Headline growth, 4.5%: B+. Beat expectations, on track for the 4.5–5% target. Well done!

Exports, up more than 16%: A. Star pupil! Mostly thanks to tech and AI-related demand.

Industrial production, 5.5% in Sept: B. Solid, reliable.

Retail sales, 1.1% in Sept: D. Not doing the homework!

Fixed-asset investment, down 7.2%: F. See me after class!

Teacher's comment: "Very talented in one subject, needs to stop relying on it." Who wants to argue with my marking?!