A slowdown in China's energy, steel and chemical production could also affect demand in international commodity markets, resulting in a decline in international prices. China has become a major player in the world economy and is also now the fifth largest trading partner of South Africa.
However, it seems unlikely that this slower growth will be a lasting feature of the world economy and most international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements are still projecting a marked recovery in the global economy in the rest of this year and in 2005.