China's new, harder-edged economic direction will put more national shipping companies out of business, but large state-owned enterprises may get some protection. During the National People's Congress 2014 session held in Beijing last month, China's leadership announced plans for the country's development. One of the most eagerly anticipated speeches was delivered by premier Li Keqiang, the man behind the government's drive for continued reform. Chinese growth has often been trumpeted as unstoppable, even during the years following the 2008 global financial crisis. However, numbers released by the government in early 2014 painted a more worrying picture. A slump in Chinese manufacturing sent forecasts plunging in January. Indeed, Li announced that Chinese GDP growth would be about 7.5% this year, unchanged from last year.
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