Each December, China’s leaders meet to lay out their economic agenda for the next year. And each December, China-watchers pore over their every word, much like Kremlinologists during the Cold War. It bears remembering that these pronouncements are rarely predictive, and that the best sources of insight on China’s economy are usually found elsewhere. Here are a few key …

  Does the current interest in “fact-checking” and action to deal with “fake news” serve the cause of better politics? You might think it would, or at least that it couldn’t hurt. I’m skeptical. The main problem is that teams such as FactCheck.org, PolitiFact and the Washington Post’s Fact Checker don’t always do what they say. Often they aren’t checking …

  Bloomberg Australia & New Zealand Banking Corp. agreed to sell its 20 percent stake in Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank Co. for A$1.84 billion ($1.33 billion), Chief Executive Officer Shayne Elliott’s latest move to unwind an Asian expansion that sapped profits. China Cosco Shipping Corp. and Shanghai Sino-Poland Enterprise Management Development Corp. will buy 10 percent each, the Melbourne-based company …