China
Looking for oil demand in all the wrong places
Much of the world is paying attention to the oil inventories and demand figures coming out of the US and other OECD nations. While the OECD accounts for a big portion of global demand, that number has been shrinking since the 1990s. This is why oil prices only crashed to about $30/bbl when OECD demand... »
Don Coxe: Basic Points Feb 2010
Hard Rocks and Hard Shocks »
Growing to Extinction
Here are some interesting facts found within Bill McKibben’s book, Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future: - The average bite of American food has traveled 1,500 miles and changed hands 6 times before it reaches your mouth. - The average new home size has doubled since 1970. - Only 22% of the energy... »
Celebrating a Decade Post IT Bubble
What happens to global sovereign finances if China shifts from a net exporter to a net importer? Albert Edwards explores the issue, as he believes this could happen as early as this year. He also provides other colorful commentary on global markets in ‘Global Strategy Weekly‘: »
China Cracks Down
Not only has China instructed banks to trim down the lending and check their risk-levels, China is now nullifying loan guarantees made by local governments. If loans guaranteed by local governments are bad, the lenders are on their own. With bridges to nowhere and empty cities being built all over the country, sooner-or-later China could... »
Guest: A Wave of Steel
Guest Post: China is the key to the metals markets today. And there are some important signals about this market registering in the last few weeks. Last month, I wrote about diverging global shipping indexes. The Baltic Dry Index, which tracks global shipping rates, has been falling the last several weeks. While the China Containerized Freight... »
China to Advise the IMF
China has a new export: wisdom. China does have a particularly unique way of operating a capitalist economy, and currently the Chinese economy is the darling of the world. Many attribute (at least partly) the recovery to swift fiscal and monetary actions by the Chinese authorities. The stimulus package China rammed through its economy makes... »
Simon Johnson’s Testimony on China
They do realize that China has Internet access, right? It sort of feels like we’re talking about them while they’re in the room. Testimony submitted to U.S.China Economic & Security Review Commission hearing on “US Debt to China: Implications and Repercussions”. Panel I: China’s Lending Activities and the US Debt, Thursday, February 25, 2010, 9am. Submitted by Simon... »
China – mother of all black swans
There are lies, damned lies and statistics. And then there’s China…the economic Jackson Pollock (splatter enough paint on a canvas and it starts to look good). China – The Mother of All Black Swans – By Vitaliy Katsenelson »
China’s Second “OMG” Phase
Joe Studwell reflects on his experience in China: In my brief involvement with China, I have so far experienced three prognosis phases: “China Takes Over the World I (1992-1997)”, “Oh My God, It’s a Disaster I (1998-2002)” and “China Takes Over the World II (2003-2008).” There are now strong indications that we are entering “Oh... »