China’s economy has shown better-than-expected growth in the third quarter, indicating that the government’s stimulus efforts are gradually taking effect. However, this positive momentum did not translate into an immediate boost for U.S.-traded shares of major Chinese companies.
The second largest economy in the world expanded by 4.9% compared to the same period last year, surpassing economists’ predictions. Moreover, on a quarterly basis, growth accelerated to 1.3% from the previous 0.5% in the second quarter of this year.
Despite these encouraging figures, China still faces challenges such as a slowdown in the property sector and a sluggish recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, which were only lifted towards the end of last year. While it seems likely that the government will be able to achieve its growth target of 5% by 2023, experts anticipate that the pace of expansion might be more moderate over the next few years compared to previous standards.
Adding to these challenges is the ongoing tension between China and the United States concerning semiconductors. A recent report suggests that the U.S. intends to impose stricter restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence chips to China.
As a result of these uncertainties, American Depositary Receipts for JD.com (ticker: JD) experienced a 1.2% decline in premarket trading on Wednesday. Similarly, Alibaba (BABA) recorded a 0.5% dip, while Meituan (MPNGY) saw a decrease of 0.4%.
In conclusion, China’s economic growth has outperformed expectations, illustrating the initial success of the government’s stimulus measures. However, challenges persist, with the property sector and slow post-pandemic recovery posing hurdles for sustained growth. Additionally, ongoing tensions with the U.S. regarding semiconductors add further uncertainty to the economic landscape.
