Australia, the world’s sixth-largest consumer market and largest producer of solar energy per capita, is emerging as a crucial bridge between Eastern innovation and Western markets in the sustainable technology sector. According to Wei Li, a senior lecturer and program director of the masters of international business program at the University of Sydney Business School, the country’s combination of natural resources, research capabilities, and geographic position makes it an ideal testing ground for new sustainable technologies. “Australia has had an interest in renewable energy for a long time,” Li explains. “It’s one of the sunniest countries in the world in […]

China’s SOEs dovetail with the country’s counter-cyclical economic policy strategy As a stock market rout in China deepened in early 2024—erasing $6 trillion of value from equities in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong—investors, including one of China’s sovereign wealth funds, ploughed ¥410 billion ($57 billion) into mainland shares, a spree that helped Chinese stocks rally from being the world’s worst performer in 2023 to the best in early 2024. There are some indications that part of the rally is due to investment by state-owned enterprises (SOEs)—companies established by central and local governments, and led by appointed officials—underscoring their importance in […]

Rarely do we talk about modern sports without evaluating how it is boosted by political incentives or market interests. However, these two dimensions don’t always align with each other. When they diverge, economic gains may have to be sacrificed to achieve political objectives. The Olympics Games, widely recognized as the world’s premier multi-sport event where […]

The CKGSB Business Conditions Index (BCI) is a pioneering research project initiated by Dr. Li Wei, Professor of Economics at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB).

Midway through December 2023, China’s National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson, Liu Aihua, pronounced on the economy, “November’s macroeconomic policies have in general been effective, and the national economy has continued to bounce back. But with all the external instability and uncertainty, domestic demand is soft. We need to consolidate the rebound.” The summary hit home, […]

Evergrande no longer generates news that can shock the market.

Consumer spending is a vital part of China’s growth plans, but dented consumer confidence is a major problem

On July 24, 2023, China’s Politburo met to discuss the economic situation and lay out economic plans for the second half of the year.

CKGSB’s Business Conditions Index, reflecting confidence levels in China business, shows big improvements in China’s economic outlook