Woes to watch: China's economic slowdown could be more impactful

EVEN as Asia wakes up Wednesday morning to news on the outcome of the momentous vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal - and potentially the fate of the UK government - politicians elsewhere in the developed world too are awash in a host of problems that surely detract from managing the economy in a time of slowing global growth.

While Europe stands its ground in the face of questions on its standing, even its raison d'etre, from the Brexit challenge, its biggest economies are mired in challenges both immediate (French protests) and brewing (Italian populism, German political transition). Consensus forecasts of 1.9 per cent GDP growth for the EU economy in 2019 have been dismissed as overly optimistic, given a "lack of team spirit" among EU leaders. Across the pond, meanwhile, the US federal government remains "shut" for a fourth week over internal political bickering. As noteworthy as each of these developments across Europe and America would be, in terms of domestic impact and perhaps denting bus…