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China The Mother Of All Black Swans By Vitaliy Katsenelson April 2010

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Edward He, CFA
Edward He, CFA

Vitaliy Katsenelson analyzes the Chinese economy in three periods: 1) Pre-crisis 1998-2008: A period of late-stage growth and overcapacity as growth was high but quality was low. This resulted in issues like overbuilding. 2) During crisis 2008-2009: A period marked by declining exports and lying about still having high GDP growth. China responded with a massive stimulus program. 3) Post-crisis 2009-present: A period of "super steroids" growth driven entirely by stimulus that has led to worsening overcapacity problems, particularly in real estate and industry. The quality of loans is poor and defaults will likely rise when growth slows.

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Vitaliy  N.  Katsenelson,  CFA   Director  of  Research  /  Portfolio  Manager Investment  Management  Associates,  Inc.   1
Chinese  analysis  can  be  divided  into  three  periods:   1. Pre-­‐crisis   1998-­‐2008   Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity 2. During  crisis   2008  (Q4)  -­‐ 2009  (Q2)   You  Lie! 3. Post-­‐crisis     2009  (Q2)  -­‐ today   Super Steroids-­‐R-­‐Us
Pre-­‐Crisis  -­‐ Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity   Growth  is  high,  but  its  quality  is  low Starbucks  is  a  good  example  of  Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity 1999 2007 Company-­‐Owned  Stores 2,000 10,000 Opened  Stores  a  Year 447 1,403 Opened  Stores  a  Biz  Day 1.8 5.5 3
Consequences  for  Starbucks Opened  too  many  stores,  in  wrong  locations  (too  close  to  each  other,  wrong   side  of  the  street  etc.),  signed  expensive  leases Hired  McDonalds-­‐caliber  employees,  not  the  Starbucks  baristas Management  took  their  eye  off  innovation   Starbucks  Addressed  these  Issues Closed  stores,  terminated  leases  (took  charges) Slowed store  openings   Laid off  employees   Focused on  innovation   4
Chinese  Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity  resulted  in  significant  overcapacity Grew  at  10%  (real  growth)  for  10  years.  When  building  new  plants,  made   assumption  that  past  growth  would  continue  into  the  future. The  natural  demand  for  its  goods  from  the  developed  world  was  lower.       Demand  was  driven,  in  large  part,  by  heavy  borrowing  by  US  and  European   consumers   China  provided  the  financing.  Similar  to  Lucent financing dotcoms Future  growth  will  be  significantly  lower Europe)  are  overleveraged  and  are  deleveraging.     Result:  overcapacity  (more  on  it  in  a  few  slides) 5
Quality  of  decisions  was  poor   Government  intervention,  corruption,  political  capital-­‐allocation  decisions   take  things  to  a  new  level  of  financial  insanity.    Provinces  are  given  growth   targets  that  they  must  meet,  and  this  is  why  the  South  China  Mall  or  Ordos  get   financed  and  built.     South  China  Mall,  the  second   largest  shopping  mall  in  the  world   (second  only  to  Dubai  Mall).    1,500   store  capacity,  7.1  million  sq  feet,   opened  in  2005.    99%  of  space   empty. Built  a  city,  Ordos in  Inner   Mongolia,  for  1  million  residents  on   spec.    Ordos  is  a  ghost  town;  it  is   empty. 6
During  Crisis   You  Lie! Global  economy  is  contracting  (its  customers  are  buying  a  lot  less) Exports  are  down  over  25% Tonnage  shipped  in  China  by  railroads  down  double  digits Electricity  consumption  is  declining 7
.    Wrong! China   is  still  showing  positive  GDP  growth  numbers  of  6-­‐8%. How  does  China  achieve  growth  in  this  environment?   Chinese  government  lies.    The  government  cares  deeply  about   ideology:  it  censors media  and  internet,  sends  people  to  jail for  writing  anti-­‐ government  articles.    Making  up  GDP  numbers  is  just  one  of  many  tools. 8
Post-­‐Crisis   Super  Steroids-­‐R-­‐Us China  will  do  anything  to  grow  its  economy Farmers  moved  to  cities  in  search  for  jobs.    No  social  safety  net lose  a   job,  no  unemployment  insurance,  hospital  only  accepts  cash.    This   explains  the  high  savings  rate. government  is  afraid  of   political  unrest.   Chinese  chose  growth  at  any  cost,  even  if  it  was  profitless,  with  bad   loans  and  uneconomical  projects. this  lens,  the  decisions  of  its  leaders  start  making  sense,  or  at  least   become  understandable.   9
Hence  comes  the  stimulus  package   Stimulus  is  at  14%  of  GDP   the  largest,  in  percentage  terms,  in  the  world Unlike  the  developed  world,  China  has  much  greater  control  over  its  economy:   It  can  force  banks  to  lend. It  can  force  State-­‐Owned  Enterprises  (1/3  of  the  economy)  to  borrow  and   spend. Not  a  touchy-­‐feely  democracy,  it  can  build bridges,  highways,  skyscrapers  a   lot  faster  with  less  paperwork  and  fewer  property  rights  considerations.     Lending  goes  vertical   In  2009  lending   was  29%  of  GDP 10
The  quality  of  loans  that  are  pumped into  an  economy  through  a  fire   hose cannot  be  good.       Analyzing  the  Chinese  economy  while  it  is  growing  at  superfast  rates  is   like  analyzing  a  bank  during  an  economic  expansion all  you  see  is   reward. But  the  defaults   the  risk   are  masked  by  constantly  increasing   new  business  that  is  profitable  at  first  (or  did  not  have  a  chance,  yet,  to   default). The  true  colors  of  that  growth  only  appear  after  the  economy  slows   down  and  new  accounts  mature. Real  estate  projects  are  funded  not  based  on  expected  cash  flows  but  on   collateral.  Land  is  the  primary  collateral.    If/when  real  estate/land  prices   decline    collateral  will  not  be  sufficient  to  cover  the  loan.    (Sounds  very   similar  to  what  took  place  in  Japan  in  late  1980s). Here  is  what  Jamie  Dimon,  CEO  of  JP  Morgan,  thinks  of  Chinese  banks  and   their  lending: [emphasis  added]  (Source:  email uncovered  by  TheStreet.com) 11
Despite  the  rest  of  the  world  still  battling  recession  and  its  exports   declining,  China  started  to  grow,  but  this  growth  is  completely  stimulus-­‐ driven. The  most  efficient  way  (if  your  goal  is  to  have  full  employment)  to  inject   money  into  the  economy  is  through  construction  projects. Overcapacity  that  existed  before  the  crisis  is  taken  to  new  extremes Excess  capacity  in  cement  is  greater  than  the  combined  consumption  of  the   US,  Japan,  and  India combined  (source:  Pivot  Capital) Idle  production  of  steel  is  greater  than  the  production  of  Japan  and  South   Korea  combined  (source:  Pivot  Capital) 12
Here  is  why  command  economy  results  in  overcapacity  in  industrial  sector,  a   hypothetical example: 10 Bridges 1 Steel Mill Required to support construction of Hypothetically  1,000  bridges  needed  to  be  built If  100  bridges  a  year  built  10  steel  mils  required   10  years  required  to  build  all   1,000  bridges   no  idle  capacity If  1,000  bridges  commanded to  be  built  in  1  year,  100  steel  mills  are  idle  for  9   years.    Steel  mills  are  very  specialized  thus  idle  capacity  will  be  idle.
National  average  property  prices   Floor  space  constructed  is  up  100%   up  20%  in  2009 in  2009     Source:  WSJ,  January  19, 2010 Source:  WSJ,  January  19, 2010 There's  currently  30  billion  square  feet  of  Chinese  real  estate  in  the   works,  which  would  work  out  to  a  5x5  cubicle  for  every  man,  woman,   and  child  in  the  country Jim  Chanos 14
Dubai  move  over $3  billion   a  series  of  islands  built  on  a  natural  reservoir,  featuring  villas,   shopping  malls,  a  water  amusement  park  and  what  they  say  will  be  the   New  York  Times,  March  10,  2010 Multi  billion  dollar  economic  projects  lack  economic  sense China  is  building  8,000  miles  for  a  high  speed  passenger  train,  which  will   be  completed  over  the  next  five  years  and  costs  hundreds  of  billions  of   dollars.   Unaffordable  for  the  majority  of  the  population   cost  of  ticket  is  one  to  two   weeks  pay.      If  government  charges  prices  that  are  to  cover  return  on  capital   or  at  least  covers  the  cost  of  capital,  they  become  unaffordable  and  will  not  be   used.  
Housing  affordability  is  horrible Housing  property  value  /  annual  disposable  income  nationwide is  8  times  (source   GMO) This  ratio  for  Tokyo  at  the  peak  of  the  Japanese  bubble  was  9  (source  GMO) 16
Beware  of  False  Axioms   An  axiom  is  a  proposition  that  is  not  proved  but  considered  to  be  self-­‐ evident In  the  US a  false  axiom  was:  Real  estate  prices  never  decline  nationwide. Used  by  all  market  players  in  the  US:  the  Fed,  rating  agencies,  banks,   It  was  supported  by  50+  years  of  data.       Unconditional  belief  in  this  axiom  lead  to  its  violation,  as  it  resulted   in  overbuilding  (overcapacity)  and  over-­‐indebtedness.   Chinese  axiom:  The  economy  will  enjoy  strong  growth. are  high  rates  by  U.S.  and  European  standards,  but  the  new  space  is   expected  to  be  absorbed  quickly  thanks  to  the  strong  growth  of  the   Chinese  economy Wall  Street  Journal,  January  13,   2010 Past  30+  years  of  growth   growth:  significant  overhang   from  overcapacity,  future  bad  debt,  lower demand  from  the  US and  Europe   17
What  if High  operational  leverage   it  is  a  manufacturer  to   the  world.    This  is  further  exacerbated  by  excess   capacity  everywhere  you  look. High  financial  leverage   debt,  easy  loans  are  a   choice  of  financing.     High  financial  leverage  +  high  operational  leverage   =  high  total  leverage Like  the  movie  Speed with  Keanu  Reeves,  China  is  a  bus  with  1.3  billion   Chinese on  board.    If  the  economy  slows  down  below  a  certain  level  (or   If/when  its  economy  slows  down,  China  will  be  the  mother  of  all  Black   Swans! 18
Additional    points: economic  system  is  not  superior  to  ours,  its  government just  has   more  control   involved  in  the  economy;  the  Chinese  government  is  not  any  better. Economic  bubbles  are  usually  just  a  good  thing  taken  too  far  (think   railroads  in  1890s,  internet  in  1990s)  .   Everyone  wants  a  shortcut  to  greatness great  if  the  word  (economic)  cycle  only  existed  in  a  singular  form,  and  the   only  cycle  we  had  in  the  economy  was  happy  expansion.  But  as  heaven   facing a  lot  of  skepticism today  about  China.    The  same  way,  if    in  1989 I  was  telling  you  that  the  Japanese  economy  was  on  the  verge  of  severe   decline. We  know  how  the  Japanese  story  played  out:  a  bust  of  banking,  a   real  estate  bubble,  a  contracting  economy,  deflation,  ballooning  debt,  etc. 19
China  was  a  significant  beneficiary from  global  growth  and  will  suffer lower future  growth. Will  China  transition  into  the  next  Japan  or  South  Korea?    Intellectual   property  rights  and  property  rights  are  weak  in  China   a  prerequisite   for  this  transformation. The  world  focuses  on  Chinese  financial  strength  of  $2.4  trillion  of   foreign  reserves.    Myopic  way  of  analyzing  a  country  (or  a  company)  as   it  only  focuses  on  the  asset  side  of  the  balance  sheet  but  ignores   liabilities   government-­‐backed  loans  which  are  in  trillions  of  dollars  as   well.    Also,  foreign  reserves  are  a  testament  to  the  lopsidedness  of  its   economy.     20
Will  the  Chinese  consumer  pick  up  the  demand  slack for  the  US  and  European   consumers?    This  may  happen,  but  it  will  take  decades.  US and  European   consumers  are  two-­‐thirds  of  much  larger  economies.  The  Chinese  consumer  is   only  one-­‐third  of  the  Chinese  economy.
What  about  the  migration  from  villages  to  cities? Migration  from  villages  to  cities  has  helped  Chinese  economy  as  peasants  moved  to   a  more  productive  economic  activity  (i.e.  making  toys  or  building  skyscrapers  vs.   milking  cows)  and  thus  helped  economy  to  grow.      It  is  a  common  assumption  that   over  300  million  people  will  move  to   the  cities  by  2025.      Here  are  some  reasons  why  migration  will  not  be  as  significant: Not  all  cities  are  created  equal.    Chinese  definition  of  a  city  1,500  people  per  sq   kilometer  is  different  than  Western  definition  about  400/  km 2 (1,000  per   square  mile).  (See  United  Nations  report  Demographic  Yearbook).    By  Chinese   standards  Colorado  Springs  (767  people/sq  km),  San  Antonio  (1,084/km 2),   Dallas  (1,427/  km 2),  Reno  (1,008/  km 2 )  are  villages.    Urbanization  rate  is   much  higher  in  China  than  many  expect.     Population  in  cities  is  understated.    Economic  targets  set  by  central   governments  for  municipalities  on  per  capita  basis  (i.e.  GDP  per  person).     Easiest  way  for  local  bureaucrats  to  game  the  system  is  to  under-­‐report  local   population.     One  Child  policy  will  have  its  toll.    Population  and  workforce  participation  are   expected  to  peak  2015  and  2010,  respectively.  (source  GMO).     22
Consequences  of    the  Bust  of  the  Chinese  Bubble What  happens  in  China   (not  any  more);  it  spills  over  to   the  rest  of  the  world. China  will  turn  from  a  wind in  the  sails  of  the  global  economy  to  its   anchor. The  impact  will  be  felt  in  many,  and  unsuspected,  places. It  will  tank  the  commodity  markets,  commodity  producers,  and  commodity-­‐ exporting  nations. (Incremental  demand  from  China  collapses,  oil  prices   follow,  taking  the  Russian and  Middle  Eastern  oil-­‐centric  economies  with  it).     According  to  GaveKal  Research,  China  accounts  for  15%  of   exports   (up  from  1.5%  a  decade  ago).   Demand  for  industrial goods  will  fall  off  the  cliff. China  consumes  a  lot  of   those  goods   $550  billion  worth  annually  (according  to  GaveKal  Research). Chinese  appetite  for  our  fine  currency  will  diminish,  driving  the  dollar  lower   against  the  renminbi  and  boosting our  interest  rates  higher.  No  more  5%   mortgages  or  6%  car  loans. 23
Political  instability  in  China  is  a  possible  outcome  from  a  significantly   weakening  economy.   Additional  Reading  Material: Every  article  I  ever  wrote  on  China  can  be  found  here  -­‐ http://3.ly/chinaread Jim  Chanos  presentation  on  China  -­‐ http://bit.ly/c6ZQ2D Michael  Pettis  blog  -­‐ http://mpettis.com Patrick  Chovanec  -­‐ http://chovanec.wordpress.com/
Thank  You! To  sign  up  for  complimentary  articles  via  email  visit   www.ContrarianEdge.com More  information  about  the  book  and  for  PDF  of  this  presentation  visit www.ActiveValueInvesting.com Investment  Management  Associates  Inc. 7979  E.  Tufts  Ave,  Suit  820,  Denver,  Co  80237 303.796.8333  /  www.imausa.com 25

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China The Mother Of All Black Swans By Vitaliy Katsenelson April 2010

  • 1. Vitaliy  N.  Katsenelson,  CFA   Director  of  Research  /  Portfolio  Manager Investment  Management  Associates,  Inc.   1
  • 2. Chinese  analysis  can  be  divided  into  three  periods:   1. Pre-­‐crisis   1998-­‐2008   Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity 2. During  crisis   2008  (Q4)  -­‐ 2009  (Q2)   You  Lie! 3. Post-­‐crisis     2009  (Q2)  -­‐ today   Super Steroids-­‐R-­‐Us
  • 3. Pre-­‐Crisis  -­‐ Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity   Growth  is  high,  but  its  quality  is  low Starbucks  is  a  good  example  of  Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity 1999 2007 Company-­‐Owned  Stores 2,000 10,000 Opened  Stores  a  Year 447 1,403 Opened  Stores  a  Biz  Day 1.8 5.5 3
  • 4. Consequences  for  Starbucks Opened  too  many  stores,  in  wrong  locations  (too  close  to  each  other,  wrong   side  of  the  street  etc.),  signed  expensive  leases Hired  McDonalds-­‐caliber  employees,  not  the  Starbucks  baristas Management  took  their  eye  off  innovation   Starbucks  Addressed  these  Issues Closed  stores,  terminated  leases  (took  charges) Slowed store  openings   Laid off  employees   Focused on  innovation   4
  • 5. Chinese  Late-­‐Stage  Growth  Obesity  resulted  in  significant  overcapacity Grew  at  10%  (real  growth)  for  10  years.  When  building  new  plants,  made   assumption  that  past  growth  would  continue  into  the  future. The  natural  demand  for  its  goods  from  the  developed  world  was  lower.       Demand  was  driven,  in  large  part,  by  heavy  borrowing  by  US  and  European   consumers   China  provided  the  financing.  Similar  to  Lucent financing dotcoms Future  growth  will  be  significantly  lower Europe)  are  overleveraged  and  are  deleveraging.     Result:  overcapacity  (more  on  it  in  a  few  slides) 5
  • 6. Quality  of  decisions  was  poor   Government  intervention,  corruption,  political  capital-­‐allocation  decisions   take  things  to  a  new  level  of  financial  insanity.    Provinces  are  given  growth   targets  that  they  must  meet,  and  this  is  why  the  South  China  Mall  or  Ordos  get   financed  and  built.     South  China  Mall,  the  second   largest  shopping  mall  in  the  world   (second  only  to  Dubai  Mall).    1,500   store  capacity,  7.1  million  sq  feet,   opened  in  2005.    99%  of  space   empty. Built  a  city,  Ordos in  Inner   Mongolia,  for  1  million  residents  on   spec.    Ordos  is  a  ghost  town;  it  is   empty. 6
  • 7. During  Crisis   You  Lie! Global  economy  is  contracting  (its  customers  are  buying  a  lot  less) Exports  are  down  over  25% Tonnage  shipped  in  China  by  railroads  down  double  digits Electricity  consumption  is  declining 7
  • 8. .    Wrong! China   is  still  showing  positive  GDP  growth  numbers  of  6-­‐8%. How  does  China  achieve  growth  in  this  environment?   Chinese  government  lies.    The  government  cares  deeply  about   ideology:  it  censors media  and  internet,  sends  people  to  jail for  writing  anti-­‐ government  articles.    Making  up  GDP  numbers  is  just  one  of  many  tools. 8
  • 9. Post-­‐Crisis   Super  Steroids-­‐R-­‐Us China  will  do  anything  to  grow  its  economy Farmers  moved  to  cities  in  search  for  jobs.    No  social  safety  net lose  a   job,  no  unemployment  insurance,  hospital  only  accepts  cash.    This   explains  the  high  savings  rate. government  is  afraid  of   political  unrest.   Chinese  chose  growth  at  any  cost,  even  if  it  was  profitless,  with  bad   loans  and  uneconomical  projects. this  lens,  the  decisions  of  its  leaders  start  making  sense,  or  at  least   become  understandable.   9
  • 10. Hence  comes  the  stimulus  package   Stimulus  is  at  14%  of  GDP   the  largest,  in  percentage  terms,  in  the  world Unlike  the  developed  world,  China  has  much  greater  control  over  its  economy:   It  can  force  banks  to  lend. It  can  force  State-­‐Owned  Enterprises  (1/3  of  the  economy)  to  borrow  and   spend. Not  a  touchy-­‐feely  democracy,  it  can  build bridges,  highways,  skyscrapers  a   lot  faster  with  less  paperwork  and  fewer  property  rights  considerations.     Lending  goes  vertical   In  2009  lending   was  29%  of  GDP 10
  • 11. The  quality  of  loans  that  are  pumped into  an  economy  through  a  fire   hose cannot  be  good.       Analyzing  the  Chinese  economy  while  it  is  growing  at  superfast  rates  is   like  analyzing  a  bank  during  an  economic  expansion all  you  see  is   reward. But  the  defaults   the  risk   are  masked  by  constantly  increasing   new  business  that  is  profitable  at  first  (or  did  not  have  a  chance,  yet,  to   default). The  true  colors  of  that  growth  only  appear  after  the  economy  slows   down  and  new  accounts  mature. Real  estate  projects  are  funded  not  based  on  expected  cash  flows  but  on   collateral.  Land  is  the  primary  collateral.    If/when  real  estate/land  prices   decline    collateral  will  not  be  sufficient  to  cover  the  loan.    (Sounds  very   similar  to  what  took  place  in  Japan  in  late  1980s). Here  is  what  Jamie  Dimon,  CEO  of  JP  Morgan,  thinks  of  Chinese  banks  and   their  lending: [emphasis  added]  (Source:  email uncovered  by  TheStreet.com) 11
  • 12. Despite  the  rest  of  the  world  still  battling  recession  and  its  exports   declining,  China  started  to  grow,  but  this  growth  is  completely  stimulus-­‐ driven. The  most  efficient  way  (if  your  goal  is  to  have  full  employment)  to  inject   money  into  the  economy  is  through  construction  projects. Overcapacity  that  existed  before  the  crisis  is  taken  to  new  extremes Excess  capacity  in  cement  is  greater  than  the  combined  consumption  of  the   US,  Japan,  and  India combined  (source:  Pivot  Capital) Idle  production  of  steel  is  greater  than  the  production  of  Japan  and  South   Korea  combined  (source:  Pivot  Capital) 12
  • 13. Here  is  why  command  economy  results  in  overcapacity  in  industrial  sector,  a   hypothetical example: 10 Bridges 1 Steel Mill Required to support construction of Hypothetically  1,000  bridges  needed  to  be  built If  100  bridges  a  year  built  10  steel  mils  required   10  years  required  to  build  all   1,000  bridges   no  idle  capacity If  1,000  bridges  commanded to  be  built  in  1  year,  100  steel  mills  are  idle  for  9   years.    Steel  mills  are  very  specialized  thus  idle  capacity  will  be  idle.
  • 14. National  average  property  prices   Floor  space  constructed  is  up  100%   up  20%  in  2009 in  2009     Source:  WSJ,  January  19, 2010 Source:  WSJ,  January  19, 2010 There's  currently  30  billion  square  feet  of  Chinese  real  estate  in  the   works,  which  would  work  out  to  a  5x5  cubicle  for  every  man,  woman,   and  child  in  the  country Jim  Chanos 14
  • 15. Dubai  move  over $3  billion   a  series  of  islands  built  on  a  natural  reservoir,  featuring  villas,   shopping  malls,  a  water  amusement  park  and  what  they  say  will  be  the   New  York  Times,  March  10,  2010 Multi  billion  dollar  economic  projects  lack  economic  sense China  is  building  8,000  miles  for  a  high  speed  passenger  train,  which  will   be  completed  over  the  next  five  years  and  costs  hundreds  of  billions  of   dollars.   Unaffordable  for  the  majority  of  the  population   cost  of  ticket  is  one  to  two   weeks  pay.      If  government  charges  prices  that  are  to  cover  return  on  capital   or  at  least  covers  the  cost  of  capital,  they  become  unaffordable  and  will  not  be   used.  
  • 16. Housing  affordability  is  horrible Housing  property  value  /  annual  disposable  income  nationwide is  8  times  (source   GMO) This  ratio  for  Tokyo  at  the  peak  of  the  Japanese  bubble  was  9  (source  GMO) 16
  • 17. Beware  of  False  Axioms   An  axiom  is  a  proposition  that  is  not  proved  but  considered  to  be  self-­‐ evident In  the  US a  false  axiom  was:  Real  estate  prices  never  decline  nationwide. Used  by  all  market  players  in  the  US:  the  Fed,  rating  agencies,  banks,   It  was  supported  by  50+  years  of  data.       Unconditional  belief  in  this  axiom  lead  to  its  violation,  as  it  resulted   in  overbuilding  (overcapacity)  and  over-­‐indebtedness.   Chinese  axiom:  The  economy  will  enjoy  strong  growth. are  high  rates  by  U.S.  and  European  standards,  but  the  new  space  is   expected  to  be  absorbed  quickly  thanks  to  the  strong  growth  of  the   Chinese  economy Wall  Street  Journal,  January  13,   2010 Past  30+  years  of  growth   growth:  significant  overhang   from  overcapacity,  future  bad  debt,  lower demand  from  the  US and  Europe   17
  • 18. What  if High  operational  leverage   it  is  a  manufacturer  to   the  world.    This  is  further  exacerbated  by  excess   capacity  everywhere  you  look. High  financial  leverage   debt,  easy  loans  are  a   choice  of  financing.     High  financial  leverage  +  high  operational  leverage   =  high  total  leverage Like  the  movie  Speed with  Keanu  Reeves,  China  is  a  bus  with  1.3  billion   Chinese on  board.    If  the  economy  slows  down  below  a  certain  level  (or   If/when  its  economy  slows  down,  China  will  be  the  mother  of  all  Black   Swans! 18
  • 19. Additional    points: economic  system  is  not  superior  to  ours,  its  government just  has   more  control   involved  in  the  economy;  the  Chinese  government  is  not  any  better. Economic  bubbles  are  usually  just  a  good  thing  taken  too  far  (think   railroads  in  1890s,  internet  in  1990s)  .   Everyone  wants  a  shortcut  to  greatness great  if  the  word  (economic)  cycle  only  existed  in  a  singular  form,  and  the   only  cycle  we  had  in  the  economy  was  happy  expansion.  But  as  heaven   facing a  lot  of  skepticism today  about  China.    The  same  way,  if    in  1989 I  was  telling  you  that  the  Japanese  economy  was  on  the  verge  of  severe   decline. We  know  how  the  Japanese  story  played  out:  a  bust  of  banking,  a   real  estate  bubble,  a  contracting  economy,  deflation,  ballooning  debt,  etc. 19
  • 20. China  was  a  significant  beneficiary from  global  growth  and  will  suffer lower future  growth. Will  China  transition  into  the  next  Japan  or  South  Korea?    Intellectual   property  rights  and  property  rights  are  weak  in  China   a  prerequisite   for  this  transformation. The  world  focuses  on  Chinese  financial  strength  of  $2.4  trillion  of   foreign  reserves.    Myopic  way  of  analyzing  a  country  (or  a  company)  as   it  only  focuses  on  the  asset  side  of  the  balance  sheet  but  ignores   liabilities   government-­‐backed  loans  which  are  in  trillions  of  dollars  as   well.    Also,  foreign  reserves  are  a  testament  to  the  lopsidedness  of  its   economy.     20
  • 21. Will  the  Chinese  consumer  pick  up  the  demand  slack for  the  US  and  European   consumers?    This  may  happen,  but  it  will  take  decades.  US and  European   consumers  are  two-­‐thirds  of  much  larger  economies.  The  Chinese  consumer  is   only  one-­‐third  of  the  Chinese  economy.
  • 22. What  about  the  migration  from  villages  to  cities? Migration  from  villages  to  cities  has  helped  Chinese  economy  as  peasants  moved  to   a  more  productive  economic  activity  (i.e.  making  toys  or  building  skyscrapers  vs.   milking  cows)  and  thus  helped  economy  to  grow.      It  is  a  common  assumption  that   over  300  million  people  will  move  to   the  cities  by  2025.      Here  are  some  reasons  why  migration  will  not  be  as  significant: Not  all  cities  are  created  equal.    Chinese  definition  of  a  city  1,500  people  per  sq   kilometer  is  different  than  Western  definition  about  400/  km 2 (1,000  per   square  mile).  (See  United  Nations  report  Demographic  Yearbook).    By  Chinese   standards  Colorado  Springs  (767  people/sq  km),  San  Antonio  (1,084/km 2),   Dallas  (1,427/  km 2),  Reno  (1,008/  km 2 )  are  villages.    Urbanization  rate  is   much  higher  in  China  than  many  expect.     Population  in  cities  is  understated.    Economic  targets  set  by  central   governments  for  municipalities  on  per  capita  basis  (i.e.  GDP  per  person).     Easiest  way  for  local  bureaucrats  to  game  the  system  is  to  under-­‐report  local   population.     One  Child  policy  will  have  its  toll.    Population  and  workforce  participation  are   expected  to  peak  2015  and  2010,  respectively.  (source  GMO).     22
  • 23. Consequences  of    the  Bust  of  the  Chinese  Bubble What  happens  in  China   (not  any  more);  it  spills  over  to   the  rest  of  the  world. China  will  turn  from  a  wind in  the  sails  of  the  global  economy  to  its   anchor. The  impact  will  be  felt  in  many,  and  unsuspected,  places. It  will  tank  the  commodity  markets,  commodity  producers,  and  commodity-­‐ exporting  nations. (Incremental  demand  from  China  collapses,  oil  prices   follow,  taking  the  Russian and  Middle  Eastern  oil-­‐centric  economies  with  it).     According  to  GaveKal  Research,  China  accounts  for  15%  of   exports   (up  from  1.5%  a  decade  ago).   Demand  for  industrial goods  will  fall  off  the  cliff. China  consumes  a  lot  of   those  goods   $550  billion  worth  annually  (according  to  GaveKal  Research). Chinese  appetite  for  our  fine  currency  will  diminish,  driving  the  dollar  lower   against  the  renminbi  and  boosting our  interest  rates  higher.  No  more  5%   mortgages  or  6%  car  loans. 23
  • 24. Political  instability  in  China  is  a  possible  outcome  from  a  significantly   weakening  economy.   Additional  Reading  Material: Every  article  I  ever  wrote  on  China  can  be  found  here  -­‐ http://3.ly/chinaread Jim  Chanos  presentation  on  China  -­‐ http://bit.ly/c6ZQ2D Michael  Pettis  blog  -­‐ http://mpettis.com Patrick  Chovanec  -­‐ http://chovanec.wordpress.com/
  • 25. Thank  You! To  sign  up  for  complimentary  articles  via  email  visit   www.ContrarianEdge.com More  information  about  the  book  and  for  PDF  of  this  presentation  visit www.ActiveValueInvesting.com Investment  Management  Associates  Inc. 7979  E.  Tufts  Ave,  Suit  820,  Denver,  Co  80237 303.796.8333  /  www.imausa.com 25