Core Insights - The People's Bank of China is shifting its price control strategy from managing high prices to managing low prices, focusing on stabilizing the "old-for-new" consumption policy in the short term and promoting service consumption in the long term [1] - The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has shown negative growth for four consecutive months, primarily due to food and energy prices, while the core CPI has rebounded significantly since October last year, indicating a more stable economic supply-demand relationship [1][2] - Analysts emphasize the importance of maintaining the stability of the "old-for-new" policy to boost core CPI, alongside direct subsidies to stimulate demand and regulate industry pricing [4][5] Price Trends - Home appliance prices have improved from a year-on-year decline of -3.3% in October 2024 to -0.2% in May 2025, while transportation tools and communication tools have also shown recovery in price growth [2] - Residential prices have remained stable with minimal fluctuations, while other service prices continue to be a drag on the overall CPI [4] Future Outlook - Analysts predict that boosting core CPI will require further recovery in the real estate market and increased direct subsidies to demand, rather than solely focusing on housing prices [4][5] - The "old-for-new" policy is seen as a critical lever for maintaining price stability, with suggestions to expand subsidy coverage to service sectors like home services and education to stimulate consumption [5][6] - Long-term strategies should include "new supply-side reforms" to enhance the proportion of final consumption expenditure in GDP, alongside measures to improve social security standards and reduce household burdens [6][7]

Group 1: CPI Trends and Influences - Since February 2025, CPI has experienced four consecutive months of negative growth, primarily driven by food and energy prices, while core CPI has shown a significant recovery since September 2024[1] - The average CPI year-on-year growth from February to May 2025 was -0.25%, with food contributing -0.24 percentage points and energy contributing -0.29 percentage points, while core CPI contributed +0.28 percentage points[1] - The CPI growth target was adjusted from 3% to 2% in March 2025, indicating a shift in policy focus from preventing high prices to preventing low prices[1] Group 2: Core CPI Components - Core CPI can be divided into three main components: core goods, housing services, and other services, with housing services being a significant drag on core CPI growth[1] - Housing services prices have averaged 0.07% since 2022, down from 1.74% from 2013 to 2022, contributing approximately 0.4 percentage points to the decline in core CPI growth[1] - Other services prices are closely linked to overall wage trends, with a potential for price increases driven by rising demand and improved corporate profits[1] Group 3: Policy Recommendations - To boost core CPI, service consumption subsidies are recommended, which could increase core CPI by approximately 0.3 percentage points, offsetting the negative impact from declining housing service prices[1] - The expected core CPI growth for the second half of 2025 is projected to reach around 1.0% before slightly declining, remaining within the 0.6%-1.0% range[1] - The core goods price is expected to rise initially before a slight decline, while housing service prices are anticipated to remain stable around zero[1]