China’s economic growth slowed significantly in 2022 from a year earlier as Covid-19 and the government’s response resulted in the second weakest performance since the 1970s. While economists expect activity to pick up steam this year, China is grappling with near-record consumer confidence, a sluggish housing market and a shrinking population. Meanwhile, at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, central bankers warned against complacency over the easing of the global inflationary shock and said they would hike interest rates further to ensure their job was done. In Japan, however, officials left their key ... (full story)