China’s promise comes with considerable risk

Article Excerpt

The Chinese economy expanded rapidly between 2000 and 2019 when annual growth averaged a high 9%. It has recovered from the pandemic, but its growth trajectory going forward is uncertain. That’s because of factors like the trade war with the U.S. and other Western countries (including a ban on AI chip exports to China), as well as a major property sector downturn. And longer term, the country’s aging population is a major concern. Meantime, here’s a look at an ETF that provides exposure to the top Chinese publicly listed companies. ISHARES CHINA INDEX ETF $17.11 (Toronto symbol XCH; TSINetwork ETF Rating: Aggressive; Market cap: $103.6 million) invests indirectly in the 50 largest publicly listed Chinese companies. Consumer cyclicals account for 33% of the ETF’s assets followed by Financial services (30%), Communication services (20%), and Energy (7%). The ETF invests all its assets in the U.S.-listed iShares China Large-Cap ETF (New York symbol FXI). The XCH ETF therefore indirectly holds the 50 large Chinese stocks. The top 10…