Core Viewpoint - The economic indicators for August show a marginal improvement compared to July, indicating a gradual recovery in the macroeconomic environment, supported by ongoing policy efforts aimed at achieving annual economic and social development goals [1][6][13]. Economic Indicators - The manufacturing PMI for August is at 49.4%, a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a less severe contraction [3]. - The industrial added value growth rate for August decreased by 0.5 percentage points to 5.2%, a smaller decline than the 1.1 percentage points drop in July [3]. - Retail sales growth for social consumer goods fell by 0.3 percentage points to 3.4%, again a smaller decline than the previous month's 1.1 percentage points [3]. - Fixed asset investment growth for January to August is at 0.5%, slowing by 1.1 percentage points compared to January to July, which is less than the 1.2 percentage points decline from the previous month [3]. Export and Service Sector Performance - Exports maintained resilience with a year-on-year growth of 4.4% in August, down from 7.2% in July, but still reflecting a two-year compound growth rate of 6.5% [3][4]. - The service sector showed strong performance, with the service production index falling only 0.2 percentage points to 5.6% in August, and the business activity index rising to 50.5%, the highest this year [4]. New Growth Drivers - New growth drivers are performing strongly, with the added value of equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing increasing by 8.1% and 9.3% year-on-year, respectively [4]. - Investment in information services and aerospace manufacturing grew significantly, with year-on-year increases of 34.1% and 28.0% [4]. Price Trends - The CPI for August showed a year-on-year decrease of 0.4%, while the core CPI increased by 0.9%, marking the highest growth in 18 months, indicating a release of service consumption potential [4]. - The PPI remained flat month-on-month, ending an eight-month decline, with a year-on-year decrease of 2.9%, narrowing from 3.6% in the previous month [4]. Monetary and Fiscal Policy - The loan balance growth in August was 6.8%, slightly down from 6.9% in July, while the social financing stock grew by 8.8%, down from 9.0% [5]. - The government issued 1.4 trillion yuan in new debt in August, a decrease of 251.9 billion yuan year-on-year, indicating a reduced support role for government debt in social financing [10]. Policy Coordination - The coordination between fiscal and monetary policies is expected to strengthen, with discussions on financial market operations and government bond issuance management [11]. - New policies aimed at promoting consumption and stabilizing the real estate market are being introduced, including measures to enhance service consumption and support housing market recovery [12]. Overall Economic Outlook - The current macroeconomic policy is characterized by a gradual and supportive approach, with potential for more robust counter-cyclical adjustments if economic pressures increase [13].