As China has emerged as a central player in the global economy, more and more investors are seeking profitable opportunities there. To choose the right investments, it's crucial to understand China's economic environment–and that means finding, interpreting, and utilizing China's growing base of economic indicators. Orlik helps investors make sense of data on everything from Chinese GDP growth to inflation, unemployment, bond yields, electricity production, and aircraft passenger numbers. He draws on the best information supplied by the Chinese government's statistical agency, ministries, and industry associations, as well as private sources. Each indicator is clearly described, along with a practical discussion of its implications for investors.
Tom Orlik is a China correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, where he writes the “Heard on the Street” column. Prior to joining the Journal, he worked for Stone & McCarthy Research Associates as an economist, briefing investors on China’s macroeconomic data. Before coming to China, Orlik worked for the British Treasury, including as a speechwriter for the Deputy Finance Minister, advisor to the UK Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund, and on secondment to the European Commission in Brussels. He has a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a Bachelor’s in English from University College London. His work on the Chinese economy has been published by the Far Eastern Economic Review, the Economist Intelligence Unit, and the South China Morning Post. The head of China’s National Bureau of Statistics Ma Jiantang made Orlik’s essay on the quality of China’s economic data required reading for the entire staff of the statistical system.