CCIEE Holds 94th Monthly Economic Talk

On April 17, 2017, CCIEE held the 94th Monthly Economic Talk under the theme of Analysis and Outlook of China’s Economy in the First Quarter. Zhang Xiaoqiang, CEO and Executive Vice Chairman of CCIEE, presided over the talk. Zhang Yongjun, Deputy Chief Economist of CCIEE, Zhu Baoliang, Director of Economic Forecast Department, State Information Center, Xu Hongcai, Deputy Chief Economist of CCIEE delivered speeches respectively.

Zhang Yongjun said that the major economies around the world showed a clear sign of recovery in the first quarter, indicators like employment, PPI (Producer Price Index) and export in the US and EU picked up. China’s economic growth was faster than expected due to positive change in international economic performance. In the medium and long-term, the international economy is likely to slow down slightly and thus, China should adopt stable and sound macroeconomic policies and be well-prepared to deal with external changes.

Zhu Baoliang pointed out that China’s economy has rebounded since last July because of the improvement in export growth, stock, infrastructure investment, and investment in real estate and manufacturing. Furthermore, he noted that attention should be paid to such issues as how to deleverage, how to unleash the vitality of private companies and establish long-term mechanism for the real estate industry.

Xu Hongcai reckoned that the current economic performance to some extend is a continuation of the economic trend of last year, which can be summarized as stable, positive and progress. In the second half of 2017, the economic growth rate may slow down a bit, the annual growth rate, however, will remain above 6.5%. We should put more emphasis on the supply-side structural reform and the prevention of financial risks.

In the Q&A section, experts answered various questions from the media and audience. Researchers from CCIEE, representatives from enterprises, research institutions and news agencies took part in the event.