As we celebrate the Chinese New Year, symbolised by the energetic “fire horse” in the Chinese zodiac, we identify the key themes that could keep the Chinese stock market racing ahead – and potentially fire up your portfolio this year. Why China, Why Now? From “Uninvestable” to a “Very Chinese Time” Chinese equities have turned a corner. From being “uninvestable” in the eyes of bearish foreign investors, to one of the best-performing markets last year (MSCI China was up more than 30%), China’s stock market has rallied on policy support and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Authorities and analysts are talking about a “slow bull” market that could last several years. There are signs that cash-rich Chinese households are mobilising more of their capital into the stock market, helped by interest rate cuts making deposits less attractive. Money supply data is reaffirming this trend (with narrowing M1-M2 growth) and pointing to recovering confidence among domestic investors....