OpinionThe Golden decade loses its lustre

On Friday when the Hang Seng index shed 1.3 per cent to close below the 20,000 level and Shanghai shares closed 1 per cent down to end at the lowest close since March 2009, Premier Wen Jiabao landed in Guangdong, one of the mainland's exporting powerhouses, for a two-day inspection. It may just have been a coincidence but Wen's trip highlighted Beijing's rising concerns over the state of the economy.

This was the second provincial tour Wen undertook in just 10 days. On August 14-15, he went to Zhejiang, a major manufacturing hub. The health of the two key provincial economies has been long seen as barometers of national economic activity.

Usually, such inspection tours by central government leaders are promoted as fact-finding missions and an opportunity to engage ordinary people, but in reality they are highly scripted affairs in which local officials try to present the best aspects of their cities, as news of the trips is splashed on newspapers and TV across the nation.

But coverage of Wen's latest two trips revealed a grim economic outlook.

In its coverage on Saturday night of Wen's visit to Guangdong, national broadcaster CCTV said that exports from major coastal provinces had slowed considerably since July.

Following meetings with businessmen and officials, Wen acknowledged that the latest export orders showed China's exports would face greater uncertainty in the third quarter.

Earlier, in Zhejiang, he was more explicit in warning that the economic hardship would continue for some time.