Contents Executive Summary 3 Citigroup Forecasts 4 Focus: China’s Emerging Capital Market Development 6 Reasons to accelerate capital market development.....................................................................................6 Recent policy reform and development....................................................................................................10 Impact on monetary policy.......................................................................................................................14 Investment implications............................................................................................................................14 Strait Watch: Lien-Hu Meeting Sparked Hopes for Improved Cross-Strait Economic Ties 16 Continued growing economic ties; persistent political gridlock...............................................................16 China 20 China: Surging 1Q06 Growth Invites Imminent Policy Tightening 21 China in Pictures.......................................................................................................................................27 Hong Kong 28 Hong Kong: The Real Benefits of China’s QDII 29 The long-awaited QDII.............................................................................................................................29 QDII’s benefits for Hong Kong................................................................................................................30 Summary and implications.......................................................................................................................32 Hong Kong in Pictures..............................................................................................................................33 Taiwan 34 Taiwan: A Wageless Expansion? 35 Wage stagnation marks the current economic expansion.........................................................................35 Possible factors contributing to wage sluggishness..................................................................................37 Economic implications..............................................................................................................................40 Taiwan in Pictures....................................................................................................................................41 Tracking Economic Trends 42 Global Forecasts 47