The summary provides a simple introduction to the assessment of developments in the global economy and monetary policy presented in the March edition of the Bank of Finland Bulletin.

The long-anticipated slowdown of the Chinese economy is natural for an economy that has grown rapidly for several decades.

How would a rapid but controlled restructuring of China’s economy or a sudden halt to debt-driven growth affect the Chinese and euro area economies?

In many countries, a rapid rise in debt has led to financial sector problems and a pronounced slowdown in economic growth. In China, too, sustainable management of the public finances would require a slowdown in the pace of debt accumulation.

The cover and transparency of China’s GDP statistics need to be improved. According to the statistics, the deceleration in growth has been very evenly spread, which has increased suspicions over the reliability of the data.

For China the entry of the renminbi into the SDR basket will be an indication of its stronger role in the global economy.

A slowing in the pace of growth is a natural part of China’s development and a rising standard of living. The size of the country and the decline in the size of the working-age population, by themselves, place limits on growth.