China

WHAT'S NEXT?: Any disruption in economic activity between China and the United States will necessarily affect other Asian and world economies. How China handles Donald Trump's administration, its relationship with Russia and develops its leadership ambitions will be key areas to watch intently in the coming years.

[New] Three countries - India, China and Nigeria - are expected to account for 35% of the growth in the world's urban population between 2018 and 2050.
[New] Tesla, in partnership with Chinese battery maker CATL, plans to introduce its own million-mile battery later this year or early next.
[New] China lacks funds and there is no reason to expect China's holdings of U.S. debt to increase in 2020.
[New] China, which was among the first countries hit by the novel coronavirus, already has restarted most of its auto plants and now expects to see a sales decline of just 12% this year.
[New] China is set to become the world's biggest economy by 2030, in part due to the BRI helping China to expand its presence.
[New] Most countries will fall in line with China's demand that Taiwan be ignored because they do not challenge the view of the government in Beijing that it alone represents China, and that China includes Taiwan.
[New] China's state economic planner earlier this year delayed its ambitious plans for five more years of mass production of intelligent vehicles with conditional self-driving capabilities from 2020 to 2025.
[New] Electric carmaker Tesla plans to introduce a new low-cost, long-life battery into its Model 3 sedan in China later this year or early next.
[New] Travel restrictions will cut global trade by up to $2.6 trillion, which is already reeling from trade tensions between the United States and China, a global growth slowdown and weaker business confidence.
[New] China will benefit from a decline in cement demand and should be expected to deploy both operational advances and technological innovation to decarbonize in the coming decades.
[New] China is expected to have multiple types of space-based SAR systems in orbit over the coming years, often catering to various users.
[New] The recently signed U.S.-China trade deal is expected to result in an increase of energy imports by China from the United States in the amount of $52.4 billion within the next two years.
[New] The economy is forecast to return to growth in 2021 on the back of a strong recovery in China's demand as well as domestic private consumption and investment.
[New] Africa has a notable youth dividend, and will not be hit as hard in the coming decades by ageing as in the case of Europe or China.
[New] South Korea would likely overtake the US as world semiconductor leader in a few years; China could attain leadership in the long term.
[New] Electric models will make up 56% of light commercial vehicle sales - vans and light trucks in Europe, the US and China within the next two decades, and 31% of the medium commercial market.
Smart speakers are expected to achieve more than 25% market penetration in the United States and urban China by 2020, 36 and more growth is anticipated as the rest of the world catches up.
This year, USDA forecasts that China will import 3.7 million metric tons of pork - an increase of 42% over last year - after having increased imports 67% in 2019 to 2.6 mmt.
When asked which country will experience the biggest rise in payment innovation over the next five years, China came out on top for 45% of Asian and 40% of European firms.
The United States is gradually declining but could remain the most powerful nation for decades; China is rising but faces substantial obstacles that could significantly slow or even halt its ascent.
The most cost effective way to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, a target of the Paris Agreement, includes EU and OECD countries closing all coal-fired power stations by 2030, China by 2040 and the rest of the world by 2050.
Economies such as China and India are expected to aid the regional market over the forecast period.
The population over 60 years of age in China is set to reach around 240 million by 2020, which is projected to drive the demand for 3D printing ceramics for use in medical applications.

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Last updated: 22 May 2020