China's National Bureau of Statistics said on the 19th that third-quarter GDP grew 4.5% year on year and the January-September total 4.6%. Global Times called it a ‘signal of confidence’ in a turbulent world in an Oct. 20 editorial, while overseas observers point to weak domestic demand and export reliance.
China's National Bureau of Statistics said on the 19th that gross domestic product for January-September rose 4.6% from a year earlier. According to Xinhua, third-quarter growth was 4.5%, up 0.2 percentage points from 4.3% in the second quarter; the first quarter was 5.0%. Cumulative output was about 107.11 trillion yuan, and the market expected 4.4% for the third quarter.
광고 문의 · 300×250In its Oct. 20 editorial, titled roughly ‘China's Q3 economic report sends confidence to a turbulent world’, Global Times treated the figures as a stabilizing signal amid heightened global uncertainty. We could not confirm the full text of the editorial, so this report relies on its title and the published statistics.
The figures from the statistics bureau
NBS deputy head Mao Shengyong said the economy added 5.7 trillion yuan in the first nine months, the largest same-period gain in five years. He said the growth rate leads major economies and fits the annual goal. He attributed the second-quarter slowdown to crude-oil effects from the Middle East conflict and some short-term factors.
Industry and consumption data were also released. Value added of large industrial firms rose 5.3% in January-September and 5.5% in September alone, up from 5.2% in August. Xinhua reported goods retail up 1.1% and services consumption up 5% over the period; the bureau said consumption contributed 46.7% of growth, or 2.1 percentage points. The urban surveyed jobless rate was 5.2% in September, down 0.1 point from August.
On trade, one report said exports in January-September rose 16.4% in yuan terms to 23.2 trillion yuan (a count by The Eastern Herald, which we could not re-verify). The bureau said exports kept double-digit growth and imports rose more than 20%. This year's growth target is 4.5% to 5%, lowered from 5% last year.
Overseas views and open questions
Overseas assessments are mixed. The International Monetary Fund forecasts 4.5% growth for China this year, at the low end of the target range, and urges stronger fiscal support, measures to lift domestic demand and action on the property slump. Some economists warn export-led growth may be hard to sustain, and Outlook India reported that trading partners worry about a widening surplus and trade friction with the European Union.
The bureau itself acknowledged challenges. Fixed-asset investment fell 7.2% in January-September and property development investment fell 20.6%, and it said structural pressure of strong supply and weak demand remains. Mao said property has entered a stage of ‘controlling new supply, clearing inventory and improving supply’ and suggested watching other property indicators; resale-home transaction floor area rose 10.7%.