Chinese Entrepreneurs Still Confident about GrowthChinese entrepreneurs are still highly confident about the future growth of the economy, though the index of entrepreneurs confidence fell off a record high in the second quarter of the year.The index of entrepreneurs confidence dipped 1.3 points from the first quarter to 120.7 in the second quarter, but was still 5. 7 points higher than in the same period of last year. The index surged to the highest level of 122 over the past few years in the first quarter. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Friday that despite the fall in the index, Chinese entrepreneurs are still confident about the growth of the economy. As the entrepreneurs of state-owned enterprises were less confident of the economy in the second quarter than in the first, owners of the mostly private small businesses were more optimistic about the economic future. The confidence index of small business owners surged to the highest level over the past few years in the second quarter, improving 3.0 points over the first quarter to 110. Entrepreneurs in central and western parts of the country were more optimistic about the economy than those in the east, because the Chinese government has carried out a strategic program to develop the west. The NBS said the investment sentiment began to pick up in the second quarter, with the index of fixed asset investment surging to an all time high over the past few years. The NBS forecast that the index of entrepreneurs confidence will bounce back to about 122 in the third quarter. |
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