This episode contains segments on:
- China’s August 2026 Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMIs)
- RatingDog China August 2026 General Manufacturing and Services PMIs
- European Commission President von der Leyen’s La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France 2026 Speech
Listeners are also invited to join a closed-door roundtable with Professor Liu Qiao of Peking University on rebuilding China’s growth paradigms. The event will take place in Beijing on 10th September.
Contact:
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Read more:
China’s August 2026 Purchasing Managers’ Indices (PMI)
https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202608/t20260831_1965154.html
https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/sjjd/202608/t20260831_1965155.html
RatingDog China August 2026 General Manufacturing and Services PMIs
https://www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/PressRelease/ce551a2735084a878bf38f7e1ad6c907
European Commission President von der Leyen’s La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France 2026 Speech
European Chamber Event: Closed‑door Roundtable with Prof. Liu Qiao on Rebuilding China’s Growth Paradigms
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DIy8VdVjVdCjLMVvSC31NQ
Transcript:
RUI: Hello and welcome to China ShortCuts,
XINHE: the European Chamber’s weekly catchup on China’s business landscape.
RUI: This episode was recorded on 2nd September 2026.
(MUSIC)
RUI: Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on 31st August shows that manufacturing activity in China declined for a second consecutive month in August.
XINHE: Despite improving by 0.6 points relative to July’s level, the Official Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index—or the Official Manufacturing PMI—stood at 49.8 points, below the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction.
In terms of the individual metrics covered by the index, the Production and New Orders subindices both registered expansion, coming in at 50.4 points and 50.6 points respectively.
The Employment Subindex however recorded contraction—coming in at 48.7 points—indicative of a decline in employment in the manufacturing sector.
RUI: The National Bureau of Statistics’ Non-manufacturing PMI, which comprises of services and construction data, came in at 49.0 points August, registering no change relative to July’s level.
In terms of its subindices, the Services Business Activity Index also remained unchanged month-on-month, standing at 49.3 points. Meanwhile, the Construction Activity Index came in at 46.9 points in August, slightly down from the 47 points recorded in July, with the extreme weather that impacted construction activity partially contributing to this decline.
(MUSIC)
RUI: Findings of a private survey released on 1st September found that operating conditions in China’s manufacturing sector improved for a ninth consecutive month in August 2026.
XINHE: The RatingDog China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index—which is based on private surveys conducted by S&P Global via questionnaires sent to purchasing managers at around 650 private and state-owned companies—stood at 51.5 points in August, rising from 50.9 points in July, indicating a further improvement in the manufacturing segment of China’s economy.
RUI: The discrepancy between the official and the RatingDog PMI is partly because more export-orientated companies are included in the RatingDog PMI sample.
(MUSIC)
RUI: On 27th August, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivered a keynote speech at the annual conference La Rencontre des Entrepreneurs de France 2026.
XINHE: She noted that the EU is seeking to ‘derisk’ its relationship with China “without breaking ties”, adding that “being a partner does not mean accepting permanent imbalances.” She also emphasised that ongoing dialogue with China “must produce results”, noting that should this not occur, then the EU must be ready to “make full use of [its trade and investment regulatory] instruments”.
In terms of the imbalances the EU is seeking to address, von de Leyen singled out the need to address the EU’s growing trade deficit with China, as well as to reduce Europe’s dependency on Chinese supply chains for critical resources.
XINHE: The EU and China have been in engaged in ongoing trade and investment talks within the framework of the Trade and Investment Consultation mechanism (TIC) over the last two months, under which more than 20 working-level meetings have already taken place according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.
(MUSIC)
RUI: After being approved at the 2026 National People’s Congress, China’s 15th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development (15FYP) was released on 13th March. From a corporate perspective the plan is extremely important, as it serves as a roadmap for how China’s business environment will be shaped over the next five years.
XINHE: Join us in person in Beijing on 10th September, to hear Liu Qiao, Boya Distinguished Professor and former Dean of the Guanghua School of Management of Peking University, analyse what will drive China’s next‑phase of growth under the plan, as well as how foreign‑invested enterprises can best adjust their strategies and market position to capitalise on opportunities that arise during the 15FYP period.
(MUSIC)
XINHE: Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to tune in again next week.
RUI: In the meantime, please find useful links in the episode notes.