Skip to main content
Back

Key takeaways from Chinese mainland NPC meeting

13 March 2026

The annual meeting of Chinese mainland’s National People’s Congress (NPC) is concluding this week. The China equity team shares its latest views on key policy developments and analyses the main growth engines supporting high‑quality growth.

In terms of fiscal and monetary policies, the announcement for the Chinese mainland’s 15th Five-Year Plan is largely in line with our expectations. Despite a lower GDP growth target (between 4.5%-5%), the Chinese mainland has been very proactive in rolling out fiscal policies since the beginning of 2026 – e.g., announcing infrastructure projects and consumption programs year-to-date. Also, the Chinese mainland is looking to boost domestic demand, with a keen focus on domestic consumption, technology advancement and advanced manufacturing.

 

Download full PDF

  • Spotlight on Singapore SMIDs

    Singapore’s small- and mid-cap (SMID) equities are becoming increasingly investable as liquidity, research coverage and institutional participation improve. Supported by initiatives such as EQDP, market conditions are strengthening beyond the largest index constituents. While large caps have led recent gains, many SMIDs continue to trade at relatively appealing valuations, creating opportunities for selective, actively managed investors.

    Read more
  • Fed hikes rates for first time since 2023 as expected

    Today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision and press conference went smoothly—a welcome development, in our judgment, after the mixed signals that emerged from the Fed’s July meeting. The rate decision: A 25 basis-point (bps) hike, bringing the federal funds rate from 3.75% to 4.00%.

    Read more
  • Asia High Yield has reached new highs; what’s next?

    Asia High Yield (HY) bonds, known for providing an attractive source of income, present a very different opportunity set today compared to the pre-pandemic era. As discussed in our investment note from nearly a year ago, the asset class is no longer dominated by Chinese Mainland property developers. Instead, it has become more diversified, with investment opportunities spanning multiple areas, such as financial institutions, gaming operators, infrastructure providers, and selected frontier markets.

    Read more
See all
  • Fed hikes rates for first time since 2023 as expected

    Today’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision and press conference went smoothly—a welcome development, in our judgment, after the mixed signals that emerged from the Fed’s July meeting. The rate decision: A 25 basis-point (bps) hike, bringing the federal funds rate from 3.75% to 4.00%.

    Read more
  • Beyond AI hype: How Manulife Global Multi Asset Diversified Income Fund (GMADI) evaluates long-term equity opportunities

    AI continues to create potential investment opportunities, but we believe not every AI-related company will become a long-term winner. Rather than maximising exposure to the theme, the Manulife Global Fund - Global Multi-Asset Diversified Income Fund takes a selective and valuation-aware approach. In this investment note, we discuss the three characteristics we look for when identifying long-term winners and how these principles are reflected in the Fund's equity sleeve which currently maintains a constructive view on sectors such as communication services, healthcare, consumer staples and energy. This positioning reflects our bottom-up conviction in individual businesses whose long-term fundamentals, cash flow characteristics and valuations are viewed favourably by the investment team.

    Read more
  • Global Multi Asset Diversified Income Strategy (GMADI) update: A balanced approach to market volatility

    Global equity markets have recently experienced sharper movements, particularly in areas linked to artificial intelligence (AI). Earnings announcements from AI hardware, semiconductor and large cloud-computing companies have been key sources of volatility. Concerns about potential interest rate hikes have added to uncertainty. The Global Multi Asset Diversified Income (GMADI) Strategy has not been immune to these market movements. However, its income focus, broad diversification and relatively defensive positioning may help limit the effect of sharp changes in technology and growth-related investments.

    Read more
See all