China Briefing | China should thank Trump and stop using trade war excuse for confused economic signals

The country’s leaders need to remove the dark cloud of uncertainty over where it is headed.

Mixed signals over the private sector and a mixed reaction to its ‘self-reliance’ message emphasise a need for action

Reading Time:4 minutes

Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, visits a farm in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province. Photo: AP

Published: 1:30pm, 28 Oct 2018Updated: 2:41pm, 29 Oct 2018

Over the past six months, long-suffering residents in many parts of China have woken up to something long thought lost – a continuous streak of clear skies and clean air.

To be sure, occasional smoggy days still occur, like those in Beijing last week, but they have proved to be an exception. The pleasantly surprising change came after President Xi Jinping made it clear that combating air pollution was one of his priorities, and anti-pollution inspectors fanned out to go after the culprits.

It shows that once the Chinese leadership really puts their minds to something, and local officials realise the leaders are no longer merely paying lip service, real changes will follow no matter how difficult they can be.

Now it is time Chinese leaders took effective action to remove the dark cloud of uncertainty and anxiety from the minds of the Chinese people about the country’s direction. So much has been written about how US President Donald Trump’s hostile stance, including his trade war against China, would adversely affect the Chinese economy.

Chinese leaders have also repeatedly warned that complex external factors have contributed to the slowing economy.

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