Chinese entrepreneurs' confidence up

Chinese entrepreneurs’ confidence in the domestic economy edged up in the first quarter on a strong start of Chinese economy in 2017, according to a quarterly survey by China’s central bank. In a survey of more than 5,000 industrial businesses in the country, 61.5% reported being upbeat about economic conditions, up from 54.2% in the October-to-December period and 43.7 % in the same period of last year. The latest Entrepreneur Confidence Index (ECI), reflecting corporate confidence in the country’s overall economy in the current and the next three-month period, also marked the highest reading since the fourth quarter in 2014, when it stood at 61%.  According to Caixin, the Chinese economy had a strong start to 2017. The latest activity data released by the government suggested better-than-expected growth in investment and industrial output.