CHINA HAS not enjoyed much success at the sport of curling, which will feature in the Beijing winter Olympics beginning on February 4th. But China’s economic policymakers could draw inspiration from the obscure event. Like curlers, they have a difficult target to hit: they are thought to be aiming for growth of 5% or more in 2022. And just as the curlers must slide a “stone” (a kind of oversized puck) with enough force to reach the target, but not so much that it crashes off the ice, so China’s policymakers must give a slowing economy enough oomph to grow by 5%, but not so much that it exceeds its limits, contributing to inflation and speculation.
Read Full Article »
