Japan Follows Global Economy Down the Drain

The Chinese economy is now less robust than before. China's manufacturing industry index for August, which was released earlier this month, has fallen below 50 — the threshold for good and bad prospects — for the first time in nine months. A slowdown in exports due to the European crisis and a tightening of the real estate market are believed to be responsible for the index's drop. There is a view that it may be some time before the Chinese economy picks up again.