China Takes Top Spot in Global Risk Ranking

The table and charts below indicate an ongoing weakening in China's economic condition. China's economy has been on extreme life support since 2009, with the main question being how long the artificial infrastructure overbuild stimulus could substitute for a shrinking export market.

Click on table for full image (source)

The following charts show an interesting story of unsustainable growth and over-exuberance by China cheerleaders nearly everywhere.

China PMI



$SSEC Shanghai Stock Index



Decoupling Review

Notice the bubble in 2007. That's when all sorts of ridiculous decoupling theories, US hyperinflation scenarios, US treasury crash scenarios, crude is going to $200, Natural Gas is going to $40, and other nonsensical ideas came out of the woodwork, many in book form, some still persisting to this day.

Instead, the reverse happened! It was the US that decoupled from the global economy. Moreover,  China has been exposed for the malinvestment bubble that it is.

Now, in 2012, nearly everyone but the die-hard hyperinflationists thinks the US will decouple from the global economy. _Mish

China's export markets -- the EU and North America -- have experienced reduced demand for Chinese goods which shows no sign of return to the pre-2008 bubble days.

China's economic model of stealing from the poor and giving to the well-connected rich, will continue only so long as the people allow it. Watch and learn.