Xi Cements Role as ‘Chief Economist,’ Shrinking Space for Debate
- Top leader shows no sign of heeding calls for big stimulus
- Experts report less frequent, more rigid talks with officials
This article is for subscribers only.
Drinking a glass of wine over lunch, Zhou Xiaochuan, China’s central bank governor at the time, talked freely as he was peppered with questions from economists at Western banks.
The laid-back atmosphere at the April 2015 meeting typified Zhou, a fluent English speaker who served as central bank governor for more than 15 years. He held exchanges every few quarters with analysts that offered China’s leadership the chance to hear different perspectives, according to a person familiar with the situation who — along with others Bloomberg spoke to — asked not to be identified discussing private meetings.