Barraud was Bloomberg’s top-ranked forecaster for the Chinese economy last year. Barraud is also bearish on China’s growth for this year compared to the market’s median estimate of 8.4 percent. Barraud’s prediction came after monthly data showed China’s economy slowing sharply last month, with a slump in retail sales and property construction. The France-based economist said that one of his favorite indicators of Chinese economic activity at the moment is the daily number of domestic flights. In the second quarter, GDP rose 7.9 percent from the same period last year, and 1.3 percent from the previous quarter.

Source: Taipei Times September 17, 2021 15:56 UTC