Economic Performance - China's factories supported the economy in the second quarter [1] Policy Implications - This provides policymakers with flexibility to address deflation [1] - Policymakers can act beyond simply meeting growth targets [1]

Kishida Fumio, Japan’s former leader, says the country’s shift to investing is “a test of whether it can leave behind its deflationary past and embrace growth” https://t.co/SIRIZh2zKj ...

Investment Rating - The report indicates a preference for A-shares over offshore markets due to their lagging performance year-to-date and more reasonable valuations compared to offshore markets [12]. Core Insights - Investor sentiment for A-shares has improved, with the weighted Morgan Stanley A-share Sentiment Indicator (MSASI) rising to 78% and the simple MSASI to 65% [2][6]. - The Chinese government has intensified its anti-involution message to address overcapacity issues in sectors like solar, lithium batteries, new energy vehicles, and e-commerce [4]. - Despite the positive sentiment, near-term volatility is expected to rise, and the report cautions against a beta-focused strategy in the offshore market [12]. Summary by Sections Investor Sentiment - A-share investor sentiment improved with the weighted MSASI increasing by 7 percentage points to 78% and the simple MSASI rising by 8 percentage points to 65% compared to the previous cutoff date [2]. - Average daily turnover for ChiNext and A-shares decreased by 11% and 7% respectively, while equity futures and Northbound turnover increased by 7% and 9% [2]. Market Inflows - Southbound markets experienced net inflows of US$2.7 billion from July 2 to July 9, with year-to-date and month-to-date net inflows reaching US$95.8 billion and US$0.5 billion respectively [3]. Economic Indicators - The Producer Price Index (PPI) showed a deflation of -0.4% month-over-month in June, driven by weak construction activities and tariff impacts, while the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 0.1% year-over-year from -0.1% in May [5]. Policy Implications - The report emphasizes the need for a tailored approach to the anti-involution initiative, as different sectors have varying competitive landscapes, ESG considerations, and market sizes [4]. - The implementation of policies to rebalance and reflation the economy remains challenging due to institutional inertia [5].

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry Core Insights - China's headline CPI inflation increased to +0.1% year-over-year (yoy) in June from -0.1% yoy in May, driven by rising non-food goods prices [1][4] - Headline PPI inflation fell to -3.6% yoy in June from -3.3% yoy in May, primarily due to declining commodity prices, indicating deeper deflationary pressures [1][10] - The full-year PPI inflation forecasts for 2025 and 2026 have been revised down to -2.8% and -1.0% yoy respectively, reflecting weaker-than-expected PPI data [1][11] Summary by Sections Consumer Price Index (CPI) - CPI rose to +0.1% yoy in June from -0.1% yoy in May, with a month-on-month (mom) annualized increase of +1.9% [2][4] - Food inflation slightly improved to -0.3% yoy in June from -0.4% yoy in May, with pork prices falling by 8.5% yoy [5][8] - Non-food CPI inflation increased to +0.1% yoy in June from 0.0% yoy in May, with household item prices rising by 0.6% yoy [6][9] Producer Price Index (PPI) - PPI inflation decreased to -3.6% yoy in June from -3.3% yoy in May, with significant declines in upstream sector prices [10][11] - The NBS attributed the deeper PPI deflation to falling export prices and seasonal declines in raw materials [10] - PPI inflation for producer goods fell to -4.4% yoy in June, while consumer goods remained flat at -1.4% yoy [10] Trade Data Forecast - The report anticipates a 6.0% yoy increase in exports for June, up from 4.8% yoy in May, and a 2.0% yoy rise in imports, contrasting with a decline of -3.4% yoy in May [12]

Government Action - China's government is showing signs of taking action after years of concern over deflation and price wars [1]

China’s consumer prices unexpectedly rose in June, ending a four-month streak of deflation as consumption received a lift from government subsidies https://t.co/5oOl7Gbivg ...

Investment Rating - The report does not provide a specific investment rating for the RMB or related assets Core Insights - The RMB is unlikely to appreciate significantly due to persistent deflationary pressures and the need for accommodative monetary policy [6][9] - Historical parallels between Japan's currency appreciation in the 1980s and the current situation in China are drawn, but the report argues that the RMB will not follow the same path [3][6] - Significant RMB appreciation would exacerbate deflation rather than alleviate it, and sustainable economic rebalancing requires more than just currency appreciation [6][10] Summary by Sections Currency Appreciation and Trade Tensions - Currency appreciation alone is insufficient to resolve complex trade tensions between the US and China, which involve multiple issues beyond currency [10][11] - Historical instances of RMB appreciation did not lead to a narrowing of China's trade surplus with the US [12][13] Deflationary Pressures - China is currently facing intense deflationary pressures, and significant currency appreciation would further harm corporate profits and aggregate demand [23][25] - The report highlights that exporters, particularly SMEs, would suffer from translation losses due to currency appreciation [24][25] Economic Rebalancing - Achieving sustainable economic rebalancing in China requires structural changes in growth models rather than just currency appreciation [41][42] - Policymakers in China prefer investment-driven growth, which complicates the shift towards consumption-led growth [41][42] Historical Context - Japan's experience with currency appreciation in the 1980s led to a loss of export competitiveness and did not result in sustainable economic rebalancing [32][46] - The report emphasizes that Japan's currency appreciation did not lead to a significant increase in private consumption as a share of GDP [54][53]

Key takeaways from our recent client conversations around the world. June 30, 2025 04:01 AM GMT Global Economic Briefing | North America M Idea The Weekly Worldview: The Hardest Questions: From Beijing to Berlin M A good friend of mine likes to say that the main reason that he forecasts is to find out why he was wrong. Our view of a meaningful deceleration in the US and the global economy from tariffs and other policies has yet to play out. We find ourselves waiting. So, while we wait, we take stock of the ...

June 23, 2025 11:47 AM GMT Investor Presentation | Asia Pacific M Foundation Lingering Deflation Despite Tariff Detente Morgan Stanley Asia Limited Robin Xing Chief China Economist Robin.Xing@morganstanley.com +852 2848-6511 For important disclosures, refer to the Disclosure Section, located at the end of this report. M Tariffs De-escalated, Challenges Remain 2025 GDP to sustain at 4.5%, with less tariff shock than seen before May 12th … 1.5 0.0 0.1 1.3 1.4 1.3 0.2 1.2 0.9 2.0 1.9 1.8 5.0 4.5 4.2 -2 -1 0 1 ...

Economic Outlook - The most recent data suggests a continuation of a soft landing, which is good news for the economy [2] - The economy was in a good position to absorb the stagflationary shock from tariffs, and the Fed was in a restrictive position [3] - Concerns exist regarding oil prices potentially offsetting disinflation in other parts of the economy [5] Tariffs and Inflation - Evidence of tariffs impacting inflation is present in recent reports, with appliances and commodity goods prices increasing [4] - $70 billion of tariffs have been collected, indicating that someone is bearing the cost [4] - The impact of tariffs on inflation is uncertain, with a divided outlook on whether it will be a one-off event or cause broader inflation [6] Federal Reserve Policy - The Fed is likely to lower rates in the coming months [1] - The Fed should wait and see before cutting rates, despite pressure, to avoid cutting into a bigger inflation problem [6] - The Fed is being cautious, and the downside of waiting is small [7] - Financial markets will likely price in easing before the Fed delivers it if stagnation worsens [8] - The Fed's transparency provides a release valve against being behind the curve, as markets will front-run easing [9]