China Beige Book Shows Slowdown Deepened

China’s economic slowdown deepened this quarter, as capital spending showed weakness and fewer companies applied for credit, a private survey showed.

Half of businesses reported higher investment, the smallest proportion and the sharpest drop since the survey began 10 quarters ago, according to the China Beige Book, a report published quarterly by New York-based China Beige Book International. The slowdown hurt hiring and wages, and interest rates offered by shadow lenders fell below levels offered by banks, it said.

“Since investment has been the engine of the economy for the past seven years, this weakness has sweeping effects on sectors, regions and gauges of firm performance,” Leland Miller, president of China Beige Book International, said in a statement with Craig Charney, director of research and polling. “Overinvestment has been an addiction and withdrawal symptoms will not be pretty.”

Bloomberg

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