China's Economy: Afraid of a Bump

China’s economy is set to suffer hardship but not the hard landing that many fear. 

Perhaps the only thing growing faster than China’s economy is worry about the country’s economy. Figures released this week showed China’s GDP still expanding briskly by anyone’s standards except its own: it grew by 9.1% in the third quarter, compared with a year earlier. But fears for China also boomed, judging by the dismal performance of Chinese stocks listed in Hong Kong, the rising price of insurance against a Chinese sovereign default, and rare, downward pressure on its currency.

Some of this worry reflects problems beyond China’s borders or the government’s control. Chinese sales to the European Union, for example, plunged by 7.5% last month, their worst September drop since 1995. But in recent weeks China has become a net exporter of anxiety. Inflation is falling, but it has remained higher for longer than the authorities expected. The property market is also slowing. Sales have fallen sharply, as developers wait in vain for demand to pick up rather than flogging their properties at a discount. Read More at The Economist