China Props Up Businesses as Economy Slows

       In a move that signals government concerns about the slide in the nation's economy, China's central bank made some moves that could help to prevent further slowing down.  The move puts $218 billion into the economy which will allow banks to make more loans.  Additionally, the central bank relaxed rules on bank reserve amounts that will add to the amounts that banks can lend to borrowers wishing to expand production and or sales.   The nation's economic growth came in at 6.5% for the last 3 months of the year 2018.  Li Keqiang, the country's premier, said that these moves will shore up a slowing economy.
     These moves come at a time of trade turbulence as US President Trump has indicated he will no longer tolerate China's aggressive efforts to steal US trade secrets, corporate proprietary information, US patents, manufacturing techniques, and research information located in university laboratories.  The PLA, the Chinese military organization-Peoples Liberation Army, has made it a top priority to steal technology any way possible, using tried and true espionage methods.
     To further increase tensions, the Chinese Space Authority launched a lunar probe that successfully landed on the reverse surface of the moon yesterday.  While not the first lunar landing, it is the first to make this location a target. It landed in the center of a lunar crater 1500 miles wide. Efforts will be made to exploit this capability to by adding new information beyond the lunar site by establishing a telescope able to reach deep into space beyond Mars and our solar system.  The goal here is to surpass the US/Russyan efforts of the past 50 years.  China has made significant investments in space exploration capability.