中金：从结构性降息理解宏观政策路径

Core Viewpoint - The central bank's recent structural interest rate cut of 0.25 percentage points reflects a focus on maintaining moderate monetary policy while emphasizing structural adjustments, aligning with the emphasis on "quality and efficiency" from the Central Economic Work Conference [1][2]. Group 1: Monetary Policy Adjustments - The recent "structural interest rate cut" is primarily structural and does not imply an immediate traditional interest rate cut [2]. - The central bank's structural monetary policy tools have seen a significant decrease, with the total amount dropping to 5.9 trillion yuan in Q1 2025, down 400 billion yuan from Q4 2024 [3]. - The central bank has indicated that it will flexibly conduct government bond trading operations to maintain liquidity and create a favorable environment for government bond issuance [5]. Group 2: Focus Areas of Structural Policies - The structural monetary policy tools are increasingly focused on supporting sectors such as technology innovation, green development, and the service industry, with specific measures like increasing the technology innovation loan quota from 800 billion yuan to 1.2 trillion yuan [4]. - A new loan program specifically for private enterprises has been established with a quota of 1 trillion yuan, emphasizing support for small and medium-sized private enterprises [4]. - The policy adjustments reflect a shift towards prioritizing "quality and efficiency" rather than merely focusing on total volume, as seen in recent fiscal policies and local government meetings [4]. Group 3: Economic Context and Outlook - The backdrop for these policy adjustments is a relatively stable total demand, particularly external demand, with exports showing a year-on-year increase of 6.6% in December 2025 [5]. - The central bank has indicated that there is still room for further easing if total demand faces downward pressure, suggesting a proactive stance in monetary policy [5]. - The central bank's ability to maintain stable government bond yields is acknowledged, although the structural capital constraints on banks' ability to absorb long-term government bonds remain a concern [5].