SET joins hands with MSCI to promote sustainable investment
January 21, 2019--The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has joined MSCI Inc. in organizing "Thailand Sustainable Investment"-an exclusive seminar for executives of listed companies, securities companies and asset management companies as a boost to capitalize on opportunities in sustainable investing and how to becoming MSCI ESG Index constituents to attract more global investors to Thailand.
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Source: thailand4.com
China's 2018 economic growth sinks to 3--decade low
January 20, 2019--China's 2018 economic growth fell to a three-decade low, adding to pressure on Beijing to settle a tariff war with Washington.
The world's second-largest economy expanded by 6.6 percent over a year earlier, down from 2017's 6.9 percent, official data showed Monday.
Growth in the three months ending in December dipped to 6.4 percent-the lowest quarterly level since the 2008 global crisis-from the previous quarter's 6.5 percent.
Communist leaders are trying to steer China to slower, more self-sustaining growth based on consumer spending instead of trade and investment.
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Source: AP
China revises down 2017 GDP growth to 6.8% vs 6.9% previously
January 18, 2019--China's statistics bureau said on Friday that it has revised down the country's 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 6.8 per cent from 6.9 per cent previously.
The size of the GDP was also revised down from 82.7 trillion yuan (S$16.54 trillion) to 82.1 trillion yuan, the statistics bureau said in a statement on its website.
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Source: businesstimes.com.sg
China central bank's record $83 billion injection heightens worries over ailing economy
January 18, 2019--China's central bank injected a record $83 billion into the country's financial system on Wednesday, seeking to avoid a cash crunch that would put further pressure on the weakening economy.
China's policymakers are pledging to step up stimulus measures this year and do more to protect jobs as economic growth cools to 28-year lows.
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Source: Reuters
IMF Working Paper-China's Digital Economy: Opportunities and Risks
January 17, 2019--Summary:
China's digital economy has expanded rapidly in recent years. While average digitalization of the economy remains lower than in advanced economies, digitalization is already high in certain regions and sectors, in particular e-commerce and fintech, and costal regions.
Such transformation has boosted productivity growth, with varying impact on employment across sectors. Going forward, digitalization will continue to reshape the Chinese economy by improving efficiency, softening though not reversing, the downward trend of potential growth as the economy matures. The government should play a vital role in maximizing the benefits of digitalization while minimizing related risks, such as potential labor disruption, privacy infringement, emerging oligopolies, and financial risks.
view the IMF Working Paper-China's Digital Economy: Opportunities and Risks
Source: IMF
China fourth-quarter growth seen dipping to 6.4 percent as domestic, export demand cools-Reuters poll
January 17, 2019--China's fourth-quarter economic growth likely slowed to the weakest pace since the global financial crisis, a Reuters poll showed, as demand faltered at home and abroad amid a bitter trade dispute with the United States.
Analysts polled by Reuters expect the world's second-largest economy to have grown 6.4 percent in the October-December quarter from a year earlier, slowing from the previous quarter's 6.5 percent pace and matching levels last seen in early 2009.
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Source: euronews.com
Thailand's Human Capital Key to Long-Term Growth and Reduced Inequality, World Bank Says
January 16, 2019-Amid a global slowdown and elevated trade tensions, the Thai economy is projected to grow by 3.8 percent in 2019 and 3.9 in 2020, according to the World Bank's Thailand Economic Monitor released today.
Investing in human capital and pursuing economic reforms is critically important for Thailand to become a high-income nation with equal opportunities for all citizens.
In 2018, despite external shocks to trade and tourism, growth of the Thai economy is estimated to have accelerated to 4.1 percent, the report says.
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Thailand Economic Monitor Executive Summary-January 2019 Issue
Why the Aussie dollar is grabbing attention view more Asia to gain largest share of global capital markets over next few decades: index view more Trade Effects of the New Silk Road: A Gravity Analysis view the World Bank Trade Effects of the New Silk Road A Gravity Analysis
Source: World Bank
January 16, 2019--Fortunes of currency are a gauge both of Chinese economy and debt-burdened consumers.
Source: FT.com
January 14, 2019--ASIAN markets have the greatest growth opportunity and could gain the largest share of global capital markets over the next few decades.
The average global share of Asian capital markets is expected to increase from 31 per cent in 2017 to as much as 49 per cent in 20 years, with half the growth expected to come from China, according to a global capital markets index.
Source: businesstimes.com.sg
January 10, 2019--This paper takes a first look at the trade effects of China's Belt and Road Initiative, also referred to as the New Silk Road, on the 71 countries potentially involved. The initiative consists of several infrastructure investment projects to improve the land and maritime transportation in the Belt and Road Initiative region.
The analysis first uses geo-referenced data and geographical information system analysis to compute the bilateral time to trade before and after the Belt and Road Initiative. Then, it estimates the effect of improvement in bilateral time to trade on bilateral export values and trade patterns, using a gravity model and a comparative advantage model. Finally, the analysis combines the estimates from the regression analysis with the results of the geographical information system analysis to quantify the potential trade effects of the Belt and Road Initiative. The paper finds that (i) the Belt and Road Initiative increases trade flows among participating countries by up to 4.1 percent; (ii) these effects would be three times as large on average if trade reforms complemented the upgrading in transport infrastructure; and (iii) products that use time sensitive inputs and countries that are highly exposed to the new infrastructure and integrated in global value chains have larger trade gains.
Source: World Bank