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Showing 21 - 30 of 174 results for "PBO"

Chief economist update: Tweeting Trump versus totalitarian Xi

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 20 AUG 2019
US president Donald Trump is envious of Chinese president Xi Jinping. Perhaps it's P-envy (I don't have to spell the word, my head will be summarily chopped off), but US President Trump admitted as much about a year and half ago and before he ...

Chief economist update: Look out below

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 6 AUG 2019
"If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War China's just implemented one of its greatest son's prescriptions and, for sure and for certain, it's gonna irritate Trump. Financial markets were shell-shocked ...

Chief economist update: The (trade) war is back on

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 13 MAY 2019
"If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done." - Rita Mae Brown. This famous quote might be true in general, but it certainly didn't apply to the 11th hour, last minute trade negotiations between the United States and China on ...

Chief economist update: China and the spring in its step

BENJAMIN ONG  |  THURSDAY, 18 APR 2019
"I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright." This quote from American screenwriter and novelist Millard Kaufman came to mind when I read about China's recent ...

Chief economist update: China stitches it in time

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 2 APR 2019
If you want a poster boy to that old saying that, "a stitch in time saves nine" China is it. Latest data show that China's manufacturing sector is back in expansion. The official National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) China manufacturing PMI increased ...

Chief economist update: Be fearful when indicators show no fear

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 18 MAR 2019
Uh-OMG-oh! Long-time and loyal readers would have probably noticed my change in tune over the past few weeks - from a mini-me Dr. Doom to a prophet of boom - based on the rationale that the world's major central banks have toned down and/or reversed ...

Chief economist update: Policy normalisation interrupted

BENJAMIN ONG  |  TUESDAY, 22 JAN 2019
What a world of difference a year makes! The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just released its World Economic Outlook Update, the heading: A Weakening Global Expansion. Says it all, really...and for a synopsis: "The global expansion has weakened. ...

Chief economist update: Another year over, a new one begins

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 7 JAN 2019
Happy New Year! I wish you one, although undoubtedly you've all been wished the same thing many times over from the lead up to Christmas and some are still coming in seven days into 2019... better late than never. You, I and Irene certainly need ...

Chief economist update: China's slowing fast

BENJAMIN ONG  |  MONDAY, 22 OCT 2018
When the going gets tough, China's authorities get going. Fresh data that showed the Chinese economy slowed to 6.5% in the year to the September quarter shouldn't have generated big concerns - despite headlines that it is the slowest growth ...

Chief economist update: China on the down low

BENJAMIN ONG  |  WEDNESDAY, 17 OCT 2018
At first glance, the acceleration of China's year-on-year consumer price inflation in September to a seven-month high of 2.5% from 2.3% provides a positive indication that domestic demand remains healthy. However, the devil is always in the details. ...