Uncertain oil supply may become new risk for world economy: Standard & Poor’s

The uncertainty of energy supplies, in particular crude oil, might become a new risk for the world economy, a leading economist said Thursday.

“We think there is enough strength to keep the recovery going. However, it’s still fragile. There are things that can go wrong,” said David Wyss, global chief economist of Standard & Poor’s, a world leading rating agency.

“Leading possibilities right now would be another oil price spike, perhaps caused by geopolitical stress in the Middle East, or that we could get another freeze in financial markets, perhaps triggered by what’s happening in South Europe,” Wyss said during a roundtable meeting with Chinese news media.

Wyss said there are some signals showing that the world economy is cooling off a bit, but he thinks the problem is just a moderate correction.

“I do not see a double-dip recession,” he said.

Growth prospects for China’s economy remains robust but some softening was expected in the coming quarter, largely on the back of problems in Europe, and stimulus measures in some developed economies, Wyss said.

China, the world’s third largest economy, expanded 10.3 percent year on year in the second quarter this year, slower than the previous two quarters, but the cooling down was considered good for economic restructuring.

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