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Chinese inflation falls in August to 6.2%

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High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. Chinese inflation falls in August to 6.2% - FT.com

China’s consumer inflation slowed in August from a three-year high in July as government attempts to rein in surging prices began to take effect.

Most economists said inflation had likely peaked as the country’s consumer price index rose 6.2 per cent in August from a year earlier, compared with a 6.5 per cent rise in July, according to figures released Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The more moderate rise in prices was accompanied by further signs of a modest slow-down in Chinese economic growth, which is expected to be about 9 per cent for the year, down from a 9.6 per cent rise in the first half

The inflation data will be welcome news to policymakers in Beijing, who have been trying to slow potentially destabilising price rises without stalling the strong growth that underpins the legitimacy of the ruling Communist party.

In a particularly welcome development, food price rises – volatile and politically sensitive – slowed to 13.4 per cent in August compared with a year earlier, and down from a 14.8 per cent rise in July. This was mostly thanks to a slower increase in pork prices.
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The price of pork rose 1.3 per cent in August from July, well down from the 7.7 per cent month-on-month rise in July and an 11 per cent increase in June.

“The July CPI figure likely marked the peak in the latest inflation upturn and the headline CPI inflation rate is likely to moderate further, especially going into the fourth quarter,” said Grace Ng, an economist at JP Morgan.

“The moderation in global commodity prices, on the back of growing concerns about the global growth outlook, will further reinforce the easing trend in China’s pipeline inflation pressure.”

But the figures suggested that the era in which China enjoyed very high growth coupled with very low inflation is over and Beijing will have to endure higher structural inflation and sacrifice some growth in order to keep the economy going.

Since last October, Beijing has raised interest rates five times and increased the portion of deposits that banks must hold in reserve nine times in an attempt to bring down inflation.

The economy has responded with a moderate slowdown that analysts say has all the hallmarks of a “soft landing”.

In August, annual industrial production growth slowed to 13.5 per cent from 14 per cent in July, while fixed asset investment grew about 23 per cent compared with August last year, down from 25 per cent in July.

Chinese officials are closely watching developments in Europe and the US, its largest export markets, and after nearly a year of monetary tightening Beijing has the ability to loosen policy if it feels it needs to provide a boost to growth.

“As long as inflation is contained they can flick a switch and inject hundreds of billions of Rmb into the economy if they need to,” said Stephen Green, chief economist for greater China at Standard Chartered.

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Chinese inflation falls in August to 6.2% - FT.com

---------- Post added at 11:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 PM ----------

This is good new :tup:
 
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I've noticed. People stopped complaining about meat prices on Chinese military forums. They still complain about women though... Guess the gender inbalance is still skewed.
 
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I've noticed. People stopped complaining about meat prices on Chinese military forums. They still complain about women though... Guess the gender inbalance is still skewed.

Pork prices are forcasted to stay high for the remainder of the year. As for the women problems that will probably stay around longer heh...
 
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The communist party enjoys higher approval rates in the rural area than in cities and higher pork prices are good for farmers. It's about giving pork to your supporters (no pun intended).
 
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I've noticed. People stopped complaining about meat prices on Chinese military forums. They still complain about women though... Guess the gender inbalance is still skewed.
time to use that massive reserve and start importing woman...
:mamba:
 
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They need to get inflation under 5% per year, otherwise wages can't keep out. As far as gender inbalance goes, they should scrap the one-child policy in favour of two. In fact, I don't think there should be a number restriction on birth at all. They should use the personal income tax system to control birth instead.

1-2 Kids: normal tax rate
3 kids: normal rate +5%
4 kids: normal rate +10%
5 kids: normal rate +20%
5+ kids: normal rate +40%

The way I see it, the state has to pay for kids through education and medical care. You should shoulder your own kids' share of the burden on taxpayers.
 
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Maybe make it so if your first child is a girl you are allowed to have another.

Or just allow to have kids until the first male is born. So if first kid is a girl then allow to have second, if second kid is again a girl then allow to have a third.
 
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Maybe make it so if your first child is a girl you are allowed to have another.

Or just allow to have kids until the first male is born. So if first kid is a girl then allow to have second, if second kid is again a girl then allow to have a third.
No, if they keep having girls, then that's burden on social welfare system. It costs the public money to educate and keep children healthy. Parents should pay for their fair share, based on the number of kids they have.
 
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