International Monetary Fund: Regional Economic Outlook – Asia and Pacific

World Economic and Financial Surveys

Regional Economic Outlook:
Asia and Pacific

Managing Spillovers and Advancing Economic Rebalancing

April 2012
©2012 International Monetary Fund

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Barring the realization of downside risks to the global economy, growth in the Asia and the Pacific region is expected to gain momentum over the course of 2012, according to this report, and now projected at 6 percent in 2012, rising to about 6½ percent in 2013. Stronger economic and policy fundamentals have helped buffer the region’s economies against the global financial crisis, by limiting adverse financial market spillovers and ameliorating the impact of deleveraging by European banks, but a sharp fall in exports to advanced economies and a reversal of foreign capital flows would have a severe impact on the region. The region’s policymakers now face the difficult task of calibrating the amount of insurance needed to support stable, noninflationary growth. Some Asian and Pacific economies can afford to lengthen the pause in the normalization of their macroeconomic policies that was initiated when the global recovery stalled late in 2011; others may need a faster return to more neutral policy stances. Similarly, the pace of fiscal consolidation should be calibrated to country-specific circumstances. Additional chapters in the report discuss whether China is rebalancing and the particular challenges facing Asian low-income and small island economies.

Contents
Executive Summary
I. Ensuring Stable Growth: Risks and Challenges
A. Signs of Stabilization during Global Uncertainty
B. A Turnaround in 2012 and a Stronger 2013
C. What Are the Main Risks to the Outlook?
D. The Policy Challenge: How Much Insurance Is Still Needed?
E. Laying the Foundations for Sustainable Growth
II. The Evolution of Asian Financial Linkages: Key Determinants and the Role of Policy
A. How Sensitive Are Asian Financial Markets to Market Movements in Systemic Economies?
B. Can Macroeconomic Policies Reduce Financial Sensitivities in Asia?
III. The Likely Effect on Asia of a Sharp Deleveraging by European Banks
A. The Role of European Banks in Asia
B. What Happened during the Lehman Crisis?
C. What Are the Implications of a Future Shock?
IV. Is China Rebalancing? Implications for Asia
A. Is China Rebalancing?
B. What Are the Implications for Asia?
C. Conclusion
V. Asian Low-Income and Pacific Island Countries: Opportunities and Risks from Increased Regional Integration
A. Regional LICs Receive More Investment from within Asia
B. Pacific Island Countries: Links to Regional Economies Already Matter More
References
Boxes
1.1 Myanmar—Improved Outlook as Reform Momentum Picks Up
Chart Data 1.2 What Explains the Recent Decline in Japan’s Current Account Surplus, and What Lies Ahead?
Chart Data 1.3 Harnessing India’s Demographic Dividend
Chart Data 1.4 Explaining the ASEAN-3 Investment Puzzle: A Tale of Two Sectors
Tables
1.1 Selected Asia: Real GDP
2.1 Determinants of Asian Financial Betas
3.1 The Impact of Changes in Foreign Claims on Changes in Domestic Credit Supply
3.2 Summary of Policy Actions Taken in Asia during the Global Financial Crisis
3.3 Selected Asia: Impact on Tier 1 Capital Adequacy Ratios (CARs) Following Deleveraging by European Banks
4.1 Determinants of Asian Exports to China 41
Figures
Chart Data 1.1 Real GDP Growth in the United States and the Euro Area
Chart Data 1.2 Selected Asia: Changes in Real GDP at Market Prices in 2011
Chart Data 1.3 Selected Asia: Exports to the United States and the European Union
Chart Data 1.4 Emerging Asia: Trade Balance
Chart Data 1.5 Global Manufacturing PMIs and Its Correlation with Emerging Asia’s Industrial Production Growth
Chart Data 1.6 Selected Asia: Labor Market Conditions
Chart Data 1.7 Emerging Asia: Measure of Excess Credit Growth
Chart Data 1.8 Selected Asia: Fiscal Impulse in 2011
Chart Data 1.9 Selected Asia: Core and Headline Inflation
Chart Data 1.10 Selected Asia: Change in One-Year Ahead Inflation Expectations since the End of 2011
Chart Data 1.11 Nonresident Investment in Selected Asian Markets
Chart Data 1.12 Selected Asia: Stock Markets
Chart Data 1.13 Selected Asia: Exchange Rates against the U.S. Dollar
Chart Data 1.14 Selected Asia: Share of Exports Linked to Demand from Europe, 2010
Chart Data 1.15 Selected Asia (excl. China and Japan): Exports to China, Europe, and the United States
Chart Data 1.16 Emerging Asia: Response of Real Private Consumption Expenditure and Real Gross Fixed Investment to Non-FDI Inflows
Chart Data 1.17 Selected Asia: Headline Consumer Price Inflation
Chart Data 1.18 Selected Asia: Current Account Balances
Chart 1.19 Asia: Real GDP Growth
Chart Data 1.20 Consolidated Foreign Claims of European and U.S. Banks on Asia
Chart Data 1.21 China: Potential Effects of Property Downturn
Chart Data 1.22 Asia: Pass-Through from Global Energy Prices to Domestic Food and Energy Prices
Chart Data 1.23 Selected Asia: Real Interest Rates
Chart Data 1.24 Selected Asia: Nominal Policy Rates and Taylor Rule Implied Rates
Chart Data 1.25 Asia: Real Effective Exchange Rates
Chart Data 1.26 Emerging Asia and Latin America: Real Exchange Rates and Reserves
Chart Data 1.27 Selected Asia: Cyclically Adjusted General Government Balances
Chart Data 1.28 Selected Asia: Fiscal Impulse in 2012
Chart Data 1.29 Gross Public Debt, 2011
Chart Data 1.30 Share in Global Consumer Goods Import Demand, 2010
Chart Data 2.1 Equity Returns: Selected Systemic Economies and Asia
Chart Data 2.2 Asian Financial Betas and Global Financial Shocks
Chart Data 2.3 Financial Betas across Asian Economies
Chart Data 2.4 Asia: Changes in Betas from 2002–07 to 2008–11
Chart Data 3.1 Consolidated Foreign Claims of European and U.S. Banks on Emerging Asia
Chart Data 3.2 BIS Reporting Banks’ Consolidated Foreign Claims on Selected Asian Economies by Sector
Chart Data 3.3 Asia: Export Credit Agency Backed Trade Finance
Chart Data 3.4 Consolidated Foreign Claims on Asian Economies
Chart Data 3.5 Differences in Policy Responses: Asia versus Non-Asia
Chart Data 3.6 Debt-to-Equity Ratio in Financial Firms at End-2007
Chart Data 3.7 Selected Asia: Real Policy Rates
Chart Data 4.1 China: Current Account Balance and Components
Chart Data 4.2 China: Composition of Exports and Imports
Chart Data 4.3 China: Export and Import Prices, and Terms of Trade
Chart Data 4.4 China: Mineral Import Volumes
Chart Data 4.5 China: Domestic Demand
Chart Data 4.6 China: Import Quantum Index
Chart Data 4.7 China: Number of Employees
Chart Data 4.8 Global Shares in Photosensitive Semiconductor Devices Exports
Chart Data 4.9 China: Loss-Making Enterprises
Chart Data 4.10 Selected Asia: Value Added Linked to China’s Final Demand
Chart Data 4.11 China: Distribution of FDI and Imported Value Added
Chart Data 4.12 China: Share in Global Consumption versus Share in Global Consumer Goods Imports
Chart 4.13 Selected Asia: Share in Intermediate Goods Flows
Chart Data 4.14 Selected Asia: Correlation of Exports to China with China’s Exports
Chart Data 4.15 U.S. Imports from Asia for Final Demand, 2010
Chart Data 5.1 Selected Emerging Asia: Share in Global Output and FDI
Chart Data 5.2 Selected Emerging Asia: Share in Regional FDI
Chart Data 5.3 China: Foreign Direct Investment
Chart Data 5.4 Selected Emerging Asia: Growth in FDI Relative to Regional Average
Chart Data 5.5 Selected Emerging Asia: Growth in FDI Relative to Regional Average
Chart Data 5.6 Selected Emerging Asia: Trade Openness and FDI
Chart Data 5.7 Selected Emerging Asia: Exports Exposure
Chart Data 5.8 PICs: Official Development Aid by OECD Donors
Chart Data 5.9 Selected PICs: Tourist Arrivals by Country of Residence
Chart Data 5.10 PICs: FDI by Country of Origin

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