Luís Pinheiro de Matos, an economist at CaixaBank Research, presented findings on January 19, 2026, indicating a 5.0% growth rate for the Chinese economy in 2025. This assessment occurred amidst ongoing analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a project Matos and Sergi Artés Sebastià have examined in a series of publications throughout late 2025 and early 2026.
Matos’s research, detailed in multiple reports released by CaixaBank Research, focuses on the complexities of the BRI, framing it as a project with both opportunities and risks. His January 15, 2026 report specifically addressed China’s increasing influence through its control of critical minerals, characterizing it as a strategic transformation of resources into global power. Earlier analyses, published in November and December 2025, explored the BRI’s potential downsides.
The economist’s perform extends beyond the BRI, encompassing broader trends in the Chinese economy. A report from October 20, 2025, highlighted the resilience of the Chinese economy despite trade tensions and weak domestic demand. His expertise likewise includes comparative economic analysis, as evidenced by a July 16, 2025, study contrasting growth trajectories in India and China, co-authored with Antonio Marta Miranda.
Pinheiro de Matos’s background includes a PhD in Economics from Cardiff University and a Master’s degree in International Economics and European Studies from the University of Lisbon, as noted on his LinkedIn profile and the CaixaBank Research website. He previously held academic positions at Pompeu Fabra University and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, with a research focus on public economics, macroeconomics, and international fiscal policy. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Economics at Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
His recent work coincides with a broader discussion regarding economic policy uncertainty and its global spillovers. A study published in June 2025 in Open Economies Review, while not directly authored by Matos, details a network of uncertainty spillovers, identifying the United States as a central node and suggesting that global spillover effects may be higher than previously estimated. The study emphasizes the require for policymakers to consider global events when formulating domestic policies.
In July 2025, Matos participated in a podcast discussing tariffs, fiscal policy, and economic resistance, alongside other authors. Further research from CaixaBank Research, published January 19, 2026, continues to monitor the Chinese economy.
