Economic Overview - The domestic economy faces multiple uncertainties in the second half of the year due to a complex external environment, necessitating a focus on high-quality development and contingency planning [1][14] - In the first half of the year, China's GDP grew by 5.3% year-on-year, with a strong performance in the second quarter at 5.2%, exceeding market expectations [1] Economic Highlights - Four key highlights of the domestic economy in the first half of the year include: 1. Production maintained rapid growth, with industrial added value increasing by 6.4% year-on-year [2] 2. Foreign trade showed strong performance, with exports growing by 5.9% year-on-year, supported by diversified trade partnerships [3] 3. Consumer demand continued to be released, with retail sales of consumer goods increasing by 5.0% year-on-year [4] 4. Market confidence showed signs of recovery, with the A-share market reaching a three-and-a-half-year high and foreign exchange reserves returning to $3.3 trillion [4] Economic Risks - The nominal GDP growth rate continues to lag behind real GDP, indicating significant downward pressure on domestic prices, with CPI growth at 0.1% and PPI declining by 3.6% [5] - Risks include potential declines in external demand due to fluctuating U.S. tariff policies and the impact of geopolitical tensions on global trade [6][7] - Consumer spending is showing signs of slowing down, with retail sales growth dropping to 4.8% in June [7][8] - Fixed asset investment growth has decreased to 2.8%, with private investment declining by 0.6% [9] Policy Directions - The government is focusing on deepening reforms rather than stimulus measures in the second half of the year, with an emphasis on expanding domestic demand [10][12] - Fiscal policy includes an increase in the broad deficit ratio to 8.4%, providing a buffer against external shocks [10] - Monetary policy remains supportive, with a series of measures implemented to stabilize market confidence and expectations [11] Reform Initiatives - Key reform initiatives include promoting income growth and reducing burdens on residents to enhance consumption capacity [12] - The government is also working on establishing a unified national market to eliminate local protectionism and improve market competition [13]

Core Viewpoint - The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) expresses confidence and capability to minimize the uncertainties and adverse impacts from external shocks, aiming to promote sustained and healthy economic development [1] Economic Environment - The complexity, severity, and uncertainty of the current external environment have increased, posing challenges to stable global economic growth, which may affect China's economic stability [1] - Recent forecasts from the World Bank and OECD have downgraded global economic growth predictions by 0.4 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively, while maintaining stable growth predictions for China [1] Economic Forecasts - International investment banks such as Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs have raised their economic growth forecasts for China [1] - The implementation of existing policies is accelerating, and new reserve policies are being introduced, contributing to the confidence in managing external uncertainties [1]

Core Viewpoint - The Indian Ministry of Finance emphasizes that foreign exchange reserves continue to provide a buffer against external shocks [1] Group 1 - The foreign exchange reserves are crucial for maintaining economic stability and mitigating risks associated with global financial fluctuations [1] - The reserves serve as a protective measure for the economy, ensuring that it can withstand potential external pressures [1]

Core Viewpoint - The April PMI data reflects the impact of tariff shocks, indicating that the previous "export rush" has come to an end, with significant declines in both manufacturing PMI and new export orders, surpassing the declines seen in 2018 [1] Dimension 1: Direct Impact - The new export orders index for April PMI dropped by 4.3 percentage points to 44.7%, marking a decline much steeper than the -2.7 percentage points seen during the lowest growth rates between 2018-2019 [5] - High-frequency data also shows a clear decline in export container freight rates to regions such as the U.S. West Coast, East Coast, and South America in April, signaling the end of the "export rush" [5] Dimension 2: Indirect Impact - The PMI new orders index, representing domestic demand, fell to 49.2% (down 2.6 percentage points), while the PMI production index dropped to 49.8% (down 2.8 percentage points), both falling below the growth threshold and contributing to the overall decline in manufacturing PMI [11] Dimension 3: Corporate Behavior Impact - As demand weakens, companies are more inclined to reduce prices to clear inventory, with the PMI finished goods inventory index decreasing by 0.7 percentage points to 47.3% and the PMI production expectations index falling by 1.7 percentage points [13] - The PMI ex-factory price index also declined by 3.1 percentage points to 44.8%, indicating ongoing downward pressure on inflation [13] Dimension 4: Employment and Expectations Impact - The negative impact of U.S. tariffs on the PMI employment index and production expectations index may be more significant and longer-lasting than the direct effects on exports [16] - The PMI employment index fell by 0.3 percentage points to 47.9%, aligning with the political bureau's emphasis on "stabilizing employment," "stabilizing enterprises," and "stabilizing expectations" [16] Dimension 5: Impact by Enterprise Type - In April, the PMIs for large, medium, and small enterprises were 49.2%, 48.8%, and 48.7% respectively, with declines of 2.0 percentage points, 1.1 percentage points, and 0.9 percentage points, indicating a downturn in business sentiment across all sizes, particularly among small enterprises [17] Non-Manufacturing Sector - The non-manufacturing sector also experienced a decline, with the construction PMI at 51.9% (down 1.5 percentage points) and the services PMI at 50.1% (down 0.2 percentage points), both at historically low levels [20] Policy Implications - The tariff shocks reflected in the PMI data suggest that policy measures may need to prioritize "stabilizing livelihoods" over "total countermeasures," with a focus on targeted structural policies for affected enterprises expected to be accelerated [22]

Core Viewpoint - Argentine President Milei stated that if external shocks intensify, the government will further adjust its fiscal policy by reducing public spending [1] Group 1 - The Argentine government is prepared to implement additional fiscal adjustments in response to potential external economic pressures [1]