China’s Economy Yet to Fully Accelerate

China’s manufacturing sector has extended its contraction for the fifth month in a row, reflecting persistent sluggishness in the world’s second-largest economy. This trend emerges as China prepares for its annual growth target announcement at the upcoming parliamentary meeting, which typically aligns with President Xi’s perspectives.

The country’s official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for February remained below the expansion threshold at 49.1, aligning with analysts’ predictions by Reuters but falling slightly from January’s 49.2. This indicates continued contraction in the sector. Contrastingly, the non-manufacturing PMI, covering services and construction, showed more promise with a reading of 51.4. This figure not only exceeded expectations but also marked an improvement from January’s 50.7, partly due to efforts to stabilize the property sectors.

Despite some positive signs in services and construction, the overall mixed sector performance highlights the difficulties China’s policymakers face in stimulating comprehensive economic growth. The manufacturing sector, in particular, faces significant challenges with ongoing subdued activity levels.

In the broader Asian financial markets, the Yen is drawing significant attention, particularly with regard to the Bank Of Japan’s (BoJ) monetary policy direction. Market participants are closely monitoring the BoJ’s moves, especially after Governor Kazuo Ueda’s recent comments, which added complexity to market expectations of a potential rate hike. Despite the anticipation of rate hikes, Ueda stressed that Japan’s price target remains unmet, suggesting the BoJ is not yet poised to implement its first rate increase since 2007.

Ueda, in remarks made after a G20 finance meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil, emphasized the need to verify the initiation of a positive wage-price cycle before considering rate adjustments. Following these developments, the Yen experienced significant volatility, with a notable retraction against the dollar in the past 12 hours, underscoring the market’s sensitivity to policy signals and economic indicators. This scenario serves as a reminder of the heightened volatility in current financial markets.