Michael Pettis
banner
michaelpettis.bsky.social
Michael Pettis
@michaelpettis.bsky.social
Senior Fellow at Carnegie China. For speaking engagements, please write to chinfinpettis@yahoo.com
1/10
NYT: "China has offset the decline from America with breathtaking speed. Shipments to other parts of the world have surged this year, demonstrating that China’s manufacturing dominance will not be easily slowed."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
China’s Global Exports Continue to Grow Despite Trump Tariffs (Gift Article)
As Trump has imposed steep tariffs on China, American importers are buying much less. But China has offset the decline from the United States with breathtaking speed.
www.nytimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 10:14 AM
1/2
Caixin: "China’s Ministry of Finance has created a new department to oversee government debt, consolidating responsibilities previously spread across multiple offices in an effort to strengthen fiscal oversight."
www.caixinglobal.com/2025-11-04/c...
China Creates Finance Ministry Debt Management Unit to Bolster Oversight
The new department consolidates government debt management functions and will focus on controlling hidden liabilities and reforming local financing vehicles
www.caixinglobal.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:13 AM
1/2
Caixin: "Private developers, largely sidelined since 2021 by tightening credit, collapsing sales, and mounting debt, are slowly returning to the market," accounting for 12.4% of total land purchases in the first ten months of 2025.
www.caixinglobal.com/2025-11-04/p...
Private Developers Edge Back Into China’s Land Auctions After Long Retreat
Eighteen private firms entered the top 100 land buyers this year as easing credit and cheaper plots lure them back into play
www.caixinglobal.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:10 AM
1/4
SCMP: "Chinese listed companies posted their fastest profit growth of the year in the third quarter, as a government-led drive to cut excess industrial output drove up margins and the nation’s tech self-reliance bolstered demand for semiconductors."
www.scmp.com/business/chi...
Chinese listed companies’ earnings surge on capacity cut, tech self-sufficiency
The strong quarterly results are expected to boost a rally in Chinese stocks that has been fuelled by a shift of bank savings to risk assets.
www.scmp.com
November 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM
1/4
According to China Daily, steel industry profits rose 1.9% year on year in the first nine months of 2025, even as steel production declined 2.9% and steel consumption declined 5.7%.
www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202511/03/...
Steel industry profits rise despite drop in consumption
China's iron and steel industry reported a 1.9-fold year-on-year increase in profits in the first three quarters, showing an improvement from a year earlier, Jiang Wei, vice-chairman and secretary-gen...
www.chinadaily.com.cn
November 3, 2025 at 8:25 AM
1/3
Caixin: "China will need to maintain average annual economic growth of 4.17% over the next decade to achieve its goal doubling the 2020 per capita GDP in constant prices."
www.caixinglobal.com/2025-10-31/c...
China’s 2035 GDP Goal Requires 4.17% Annual Growth
Beijing clarifies that to meet the target, it will use 2020 standards, which require doubling per capita GDP from that year
www.caixinglobal.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:13 PM
I'd be a little skeptical While there may indeed be "a group high up within the administration that was interested in bolstering the international role of the dollar," there are also those who understand the relationship between dollar dominance and US deindustrialization.
www.ft.com/content/fae0...
US pushes for wider global dollar adoption
Officials in Washington explore how to encourage more countries to adopt greenback as their primary currency
www.ft.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:01 AM
1/3
Bloomberg: "It’s clear that Western nations are slowly starting to recognize the need for an embrace of production-oriented — rather than 1990s style consumer-focused — economic strategies."
www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
China Has Another Trade Weapon Waiting for America
It’s not just rare earths the US has to worry about. It’s pharmaceuticals, too.
www.bloomberg.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
1/6
Reuters warns that China's over-reliance on investment and exports to power its economy appears to have reached a limit, with Chinese leaders signalling a sharper shift towards supporting consumption over the next five years.
www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
www.reuters.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:38 AM
China Banking News: "Lian Ping, director of the China Chief Economist Forum, argues that China continues to face risks and perils on multiple fronts, all of which threaten to undermine its economic growth prospects."
www.chinabankingnews.com/p/the-six-po...
The six-point plan to save China's economy from "landslide" decline
Lian Ping says China's economic woes are far from over...
www.chinabankingnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:08 AM
1/5
China Banking News says that former PBoC governor Zhou Xiaochuan disagrees with the claim that China's refusal to run trade deficits limits the global role of the renminbi. He also believes that to do so would undermine Chinese manufacturing.
www.chinabankingnews.com/p/chinas-ala...
China’s Alan Greenspan says the fate of the US dollar lies in the hands of Beijing
Zhou Xiaochuan expects US dollar to retain global dominance unless the renminbi fights for it.
www.chinabankingnews.com
October 31, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, on the Foreign Relations Committee, calls for "a rebuilt bipartisan consensus around our approach to China".
www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...
Opinion | America Needs a Bipartisan China Strategy
Trump’s trade war isn’t working, but neither did previous administrations’ policy of accommodation.
www.wsj.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:58 AM
For those who might be in Singapore this weekend, there will be some great indie bands from around Asia at the Baybeats festival, including several from China. I would definitely check out Beijing's Carsick Cars at the Arena on Sunday evening.
www.esplanade.com/whats-on/fes...
Baybeats 2025 - Esplanade
Four days of indie rock and alternative music on the bay, featuring the best of Singapore and beyond.
www.esplanade.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:52 AM
1/3
Yicai: "China has slashed the number of local government financing platforms by more than 70 percent over the past two and a half years, as a package of policies to prevent and resolve implicit debt risks takes effect nationwide."
www.yicaiglobal.com/news/china-c...
China Shuts Over 70% of Local Gov’t Financing Vehicles in Hidden Debt Cleanup
www.yicaiglobal.com
October 30, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Xinhua: "China has allocated a total of 500 billion yuan through a new policy-based financial instrument. The move is expected to stimulate over 7 trillion yuan in investment, according to statistics from the policy banks."
english.news.cn/20251030/6be...
China channels 500 bln yuan through new policy-based financial instrument to spur investment
english.news.cn
October 30, 2025 at 10:11 AM
This is silly. Tariffs should be used to protect strategically important industries or to retaliate against beggar-thy-neighbor trade policies. They should not be used to punish countries like Canada, who share part of the burden of absorbing global saving imbalances.
www.ft.com/content/8e90...
Trump to raise tariffs on Canada by 10% over Ontario’s Reagan ad
US president was angered by a television advertisement quoting former president’s disdain for import levies
www.ft.com
October 26, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Exploration budgets for rare earths are expanding very rapidly around the world, led by Australia, Brazil, South Africa, the US and Canada, in that order.
www.ft.com/content/eb13...
Australia’s ‘rock star’ rare earth miners profit from US-China tensions
Canberra emerges as key partner with Washington to counter Beijing’s critical mineral supply chain
www.ft.com
October 26, 2025 at 4:24 AM
FT: "External renminbi loans, deposits and bond investments by Chinese banks quadrupled to more than $480bn over the past five years, as policymakers more aggressively pursue their long-term goal of reducing the centrality of the dollar in global financial flows."
www.ft.com/content/4577...
Overseas renminbi lending surges as China steps up campaign to de-dollarise
Beijing’s push will speed moves to multi-polar monetary system, analysts say
www.ft.com
October 26, 2025 at 4:15 AM
1/2
Reuters: "The first major goal of the next five-year plan is to keep economic growth at a "reasonable" range and "significantly" raise the percentage of household consumption of GDP, said Han Wenxiu, deputy director of the Central Financial and....
www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
China vows to raise household consumption 'significantly'
China will increase the proportion of government investment for people's livelihoods and raise the percentage of household consumption of GDP "significantly" over the next five years, officials told reporters on Friday.
www.reuters.com
October 26, 2025 at 4:04 AM
Yicai: "China now supplies more than 60 percent of the world’s power batteries and about 70 percent of its battery materials, according to official data, giving a competitive edge to the country’s booming new energy vehicle sector."
www.yicaiglobal.com/news/chinas-...
China’s Share of Global Power Battery Market Exceeds 60%
www.yicaiglobal.com
October 26, 2025 at 3:31 AM
1/4
Interesting article by Yanmei Xie: "Why does involution defy repeated attempts to purge it?" she asks. "Because the foundational structure of China’s political economy breeds it."
www.ft.com/content/e768...
For China, ‘involution’ is a blessing as well as a curse
Ferocious competition at home equips the strongest companies to prosper abroad
www.ft.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Good Robin Brooks piece on deflationary pressures in China and the role of US tariffs.
robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/deflationa...
Deflationary Pressure builds in China
US tariffs are a deflationary shock for China and this is starting to show
robinjbrooks.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:07 PM
1/2
For those of my friends living in Singapore, or who plan to be there next week, you should definitely check out Baybeats 2025. The festival features indie bands from around Asia, and this year includes one of my favorite bands, Beijing's Carsick Cars.
www.bandwagon.asia/articles/sil...
Silica Gel, Sandwich, A Vacant Affair, mouse on the keys, Carsick Cars & more headline Baybeats 2025
The wait is over — Baybeats 2025 is back, bringing another massive showcase of alternative sounds from across Asia and beyond. Happening from 30 Oc...
www.bandwagon.asia
October 24, 2025 at 5:58 AM
1/6
"While booming exports supported economic output in the third quarter," according to PKU's Huang Yiping, "indicators ranging from inflation to private investment and unemployment all point to sluggish confidence."
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
PBOC Adviser Says China Has to Do ‘Something Major’ for Economy
China needs a bolder spending package to mend the finances of households and companies, according to a central bank adviser, as signs of resilience in the economy mask the damage wrought by the trade ...
www.bloomberg.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:43 AM
1/8
Yale's Stephen Roach says China must raise the household consumption share of its GDP by ten percentage points over the next decade. In August PKU economics professor Lu Feng, said that China should raise it by 5 to 10 percentage points over the..
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
China Must Set ‘Aggressive’ Consumption Goal, Stephen Roach Says
Former Morgan Stanley Asia chairman Stephen Roach said China must target consumption accounting for half of economic output over the next decade, joining a growing chorus of calls from economists worr...
www.bloomberg.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM