Chief Economist, Aletheia Capital

Dr. Jim Walker

Jim Walker is the chief economist at Aletheia Analyst Network Limited, an independent research platform for the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Aletheia he was the founder and chief economist at Asianomics Group an economics and strategy research consultancy company formed in late 2007. 

Before establishing Asianomics he was the chief economist at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. He joined CLSA in late 1991. Over the years Dr Jim achieved numerous ‘best economist’ rankings in the Asiamoney, Institutional Investor and Greenwich surveys of fund managers. In 1995 he wrote about the prospect of Asia being forced off its de facto dollar peg “within the next two-three years”. The Asian Crisis, precipitated by the Thai baht devaluation, began in July 1997.

In recent years he is best known for forecasting the US 2007 downturn and financial sector meltdown in his series of ‘Apocalypse’ reports. He remains deeply sceptical of the prevailing wisdom in central banks’ approach to monetary policy.

Over the years he has also developed an approach to analysing Asian economies based on profit and credit cycles where the importance of investment spending as the driver of economic activity is explained.

Early in his career he worked in his native Scotland as a research fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute for Research on the Scottish Economy, and then at The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Edinburgh headquarters. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree and a doctorate in economics from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Chief Economist

Covid-19/Economy/US-China/China-India/Chips

Chinese Easing Drives Next Phase of Liquidity-Driven Boom. Could EM Soar?

Independent and original Asian investment research

Aletheia Capital

Aletheia Capital (HK) Ltd. (previously known as Asianomics) combines the extensive knowledge of its experienced team with technology and regulatory changes to disrupt Global Markets business in Asia. The firm is completely independent with no conflicts of interest either on Investment Banking advisory or Capital Markets execution.

Macroeconomics

<p>News in the last month or so has been dominated by politics. The decision taken by the Chinese National People’s Congress to press ahead with a Security Law in Hong Kong under Article 18 of the Basic Law has produced the predictable angry response in Washington – it is an election year after all. The Phase 1 trade deal between the two countries is unlikely to morph into a Phase 2 and the war of words between the two largest economies in the world is set to escalate. Hong Kong, in the eyes of the US, is now just another Chinese city and its special trade and investment privileges are to be revoked, thus hurting the people of Hong Kong and leaving China itself pretty much unscathed. Nothing the US – or UK – has done so far will affect the Chinese economy and, while most of the developed world remains in at least semi-lockdown, it is the Mainland economy that is resuming production ahead of everyone else. We turn to our favourite China indicators to see what the portents can tell us about the state of the economy as it resumes activity. </p>

News in the last month or so has been dominated by politics. The decision taken by the Chinese National People’s Congress to press ahead with a Security Law in Hong Kong under Article 18 of the Basic Law has produced the predictable angry response in Washington – it is an election year after all. The Phase 1 trade deal between the two countries is unlikely to morph into a Phase 2 and the war of words between the two largest economies in the world is set to escalate. Hong Kong, in the eyes of the US, is now just another Chinese city and its special trade and investment privileges are to be revoked, thus hurting the people of Hong Kong and leaving China itself pretty much unscathed. Nothing the US – or UK – has done so far will affect the Chinese economy and, while most of the developed world remains in at least semi-lockdown, it is the Mainland economy that is resuming production ahead of everyone else. We turn to our favourite China indicators to see what the portents can tell us about the state of the economy as it resumes activity. 

Politics Aside: China’s Latest Economic Indicators