In fast-growing economies, surplus is often an unavoidable issue. With the rapid development of China's economy, we have to take a hard look at the two major surpluses we are currently facing: overcapacity and overcurrency. These two are not only theoretical issues in economics, but also have a real impact on everyone's life. However, they do not exist in isolation, but are deeply intertwined, forming a complex economic picture.
Overcapacity: Miscalculation of economic decisions
Let's start with the problem of overcapacity. To understand this phenomenon, we first need to understand the causes. Over the past decade, China's economy has experienced rapid growth, but at the same time, there has been a corresponding expansion in corporate investment in means of production. This expansion unexpectedly exacerbated the contradiction between supply and demand in the market.
The causes and current situation of surplus means of production
In some industries, companies overinvest in the blind pursuit of market share and disregard actual demand. This phenomenon is especially evident in traditional industries such as steel and cement. The data shows that in 2023, China's steel production is still at a high level, while market demand has not grown at the same time. The reason for this is that some companies have made serious mistakes in their predictions of the future market, making the production capacity far exceed the actual market demand. In this context, the operating pressure of enterprises continues to increase, which eventually leads to the ineffective use of production capacity.
The impact of over-investment and mis-estimation of market demand
The blind investment of enterprises not only leads to overcapacity, but also leads to the waste of resource allocation. In resource-constrained environments, the flow of funds should be more rational in order to serve areas of genuine need. However, the reality is that a lot of money is locked into projects that lack market demand. According to statistics, the average operating rate of China's cement industry in 2023 is only 65%, while in the past few years, related companies are still expanding production lines, which is worrying.
The high desire for wealth exacerbates overcapacity
This, coupled with the widespread desire for wealth in society, has accelerated this trend of overcapacity. Driven by huge business interests, business leaders often choose to invest more than to carefully assess market demand. This short-sightedness may stem from the excessive pursuit of profit at the expense of long-term sustainability. In the face of such a situation, we should reflect on the fact that the accumulation of wealth should not be based on the waste of resources and environmental pollution.
Excess currency: hidden dangers of prosperity
In addition to overcapacity, monetary overcapacity is also a problem that cannot be ignored. What appears to be an abundant money supply invigorates the economy, but if not handled properly, it can create even greater problems.
The performance and problems of money that is not in circulation
Today, China's overall money supply remains high, but the real amount of money used for consumption and investment has not increased. To some extent, this phenomenon reflects people's worries about the economic future. Although the monetary aggregate is increasing, its liquidity is not ideal. As a result of the increased propensity to save, a lot of money remains in banks, forming "sunk costs" that cannot be translated into actual economic growth momentum.
People's uncertainty about the future economy leads to a propensity to save
The uncertainty of the future economic situation makes people more inclined to save wealth rather than spend it. Especially in the context of frequent global economic volatility, many people would rather wait for their moment than take the risk of investing. This conservative mentality exacerbates the excess of money to a certain extent, causing a mismatch between supply and demand. If this phenomenon is not effectively mitigated, it will have a negative impact on the vitality of the overall economy.
Response: A duo of innovation and reform
In the face of these two excesses, China needs to take effective measures to meet the challenges with all its might. Only through the dual play of innovation and reform can we achieve sustained and healthy economic development.
For overcapacity: Promote supply-side structural reforms
First of all, in terms of overcapacity, the government should strengthen supply-side structural reforms, eliminate those backward production capacity, encourage enterprises to carry out technological innovation, and develop new products that meet market demand. By optimizing the allocation of resources, capital, land, labor and other factors can flow more effectively to industries with high growth potential.
At the same time, it is particularly important to enhance the public's perception of wealth. The accumulation of wealth should not only be short-term profits, but should focus on sustainable development concepts and pursue longer-term interests.
For monetary surplus: Implement a proactive fiscal policy
On the issue of excess money, the Government may consider implementing a more proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy. By increasing investment in infrastructure construction and scientific and technological innovation, we will improve the efficiency of the use of funds and further improve liquidity. At the same time, it will reduce the financing cost of enterprises and enhance consumer confidence in order to promote the growth of domestic demand. Only when money flows back to the market and serves the real economy can the potential risks of the economy be avoided.
Conclusion: Innovation and effective measures to achieve sustained and healthy economic development
Faced with the two major challenges of overcapacity and overcurrency, China must keep a clear head and use innovation and effective measures as a breakthrough. Both the much-needed supply-side reform and the monetary policy to encourage consumption need to be closely integrated to achieve comprehensive economic development.
In the future, China's economy must not only cure its immediate diseases, but also open up new possibilities. Only in this way can everyone in this land enjoy the dividends of economic prosperity. Dear readers, how do you think we can better respond to these economic challenges in this day and age? Feel free to share your views in the comment section.