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China’s shadow-banking industry threatens its financial system

China's shadow lending industry is facing significant challenges as weak economic growth and a wave of defaults and restructurings in the property sector threaten the stability of trusts, leading to concerns of contagion and further economic problems.

economist.com
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China's real estate crisis, caused by a crackdown on risky behavior by home builders and a subsequent housing slowdown, is spreading to the broader economy, leading to sinking sales, disappearing jobs, and a decline in consumer confidence, business investment, and stock markets.
China's real estate market is experiencing a significant downturn, causing major developers to face massive losses and mounting debts, which is impacting the country's economy and global growth.
China's economy is facing a downward spiral due to a crisis in the debt-laden property sector, prompting seven city banks to reduce their growth forecasts for the country; concerns include falling into deflation, high unemployment rates, and the need for more proactive government support.
China's decision not to cut its five-year loan prime rate to revive the real estate sector and boost the economy is expected to have a limited impact and further weaken confidence, according to economists.
China's economic slump is worsening due to the prolonged property crisis, with missed payments on investment products by a major trust company and a fall in home prices adding to concerns.
China's largest private real estate developer, Country Garden, is in financial trouble, missing bond payments and posting a record loss, signaling further concerns about the country's property sector as housing prices and foreclosures continue to rise, while other economic indicators, such as industrial output and retail sales, fall short of expectations; these developments are raising concerns about the overall health of China's economy and its future growth prospects.
China's weak economy, including an unstable property market and weak consumer demand, is posing risks to global markets and economies like the US, according to experts.
China's economy is facing challenges with slowing growth, rising debt, tumbling stock markets, and a property sector crisis, and some analysts believe that heavy-handed government intervention and a lack of confidence are underlying causes that cannot be easily fixed. However, others argue that China's problems are solvable and that it remains a superpower despite its considerable problems.
China's economic challenges, including deflationary pressures and a slowdown in various sectors such as real estate, are likely to have a global impact and may continue to depress inflation in both China and other markets, with discounting expected to increase in the coming quarters.
China is facing challenges in defusing risks from its local government debt without resorting to major bailouts, as many local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) are struggling to generate enough income to pay off their debts and are experiencing difficulty in accessing financing from banks and investors. If the debt restructuring efforts fail, it could have a significant impact on China's economic growth and pose risks to the country's financial system.
China's economic model, driven by industrialization and exports, is showing weaknesses with an imbalanced economy, low demand, slumping trade, and a struggling property sector, highlighting the need for structural reforms to boost domestic consumption and confidence.
China's hybrid economic model, which combines state planning with market forces, is facing challenges as the country struggles with weak economic indicators, including high youth unemployment and falling prices, and the property market experiences financial distress due to government interventions and market dynamics; policymakers must implement short-term measures to boost market confidence, such as managing property-sector defaults and easing housing investment restrictions, while also undertaking long-term structural reforms to address moral hazards, promote fiscal responsibility, and protect private businesses and foreign investors.
China's economy is facing a number of challenges, including a property sector crisis, but experts believe it is unlikely to experience a "Lehman moment" like the US did in 2008 due to its state-owned financial system and government involvement in the economy. However, they do foresee a prolonged structural economic crisis.
China Evergrande Group, the world's most-indebted property developer, reported a narrower net loss for the first half of the year due to increased revenue, but it is still facing a crisis in China's property sector characterized by debt defaults and shattered consumer confidence in the country's economy.
China's property crisis has left small businesses and workers owed hundreds of billions of dollars, with suppliers waiting on at least $390 billion in payments, as new projects dry up and financial troubles plague real estate developers like Country Garden.
China is facing increasing financial stress as a property giant seeks to avoid default and a state-run bad debt manager experiences a bond slump, contributing to concerns about the country's economy.
Chinese state-owned banks are expected to lower interest rates on existing mortgages, with the quantum of the cut varying for different clients and cities, in an effort to revive the property sector and boost the country's economy.
China's economy is facing significant challenges, including a property crisis, youth unemployment, and a flawed economic model, but the government's limited response suggests they are playing the long game and prioritizing ideology over effective governance.
US companies are becoming increasingly hesitant to invest in China due to concerns over new anti-spying laws, competition from state-funded firms, and the country's economic challenges such as deflation and a property crisis.
China's "shadow banking" sector is facing a crisis as the government struggles to maintain economic growth, with concerns about the solvency of trust companies like Zhongrong International Trust Co.; however, a new analysis suggests that the government's ability to use fiscal stimulus may be more limited than many believe.
China's largest property developer, Country Garden, is on the brink of defaulting on its massive debts, reinforcing the deep slump in China's real estate market and potentially impacting the country's financial sector and global markets.
China is planning to relax home-purchase restrictions and implement new measures to address the debt crisis in its property sector, which accounts for a quarter of its economy, in an effort to boost consumer demand.
Chinese homebuyers remain skeptical about entering the property market despite the Beijing government's measures to revive the economy, including lower mortgage rates, due to concerns about the slowing economy and the deepening crisis in the debt-ridden property sector.
China's economy is facing numerous challenges, including high youth unemployment, real estate sector losses, sluggish growth in banks, shrinking manufacturing activity, and lack of investor confidence, indicating deeper systemic issues rather than cyclical ones.
China's shadow banking industry, which includes lightly regulated trust firms, is facing financial distress due to the country's economic woes, raising concerns of a potential larger financial crisis that could spread globally. The fall of these trusts could have a domino effect and impact Western organizations that have loaned to shadow banks, affecting the broader economy and stock market. There may be a call for regulatory measures to rein in the unruly shadow banking sector.
China's real estate market slump raises the risk of developer defaults, potentially resulting in significant losses for Chinese banks and potential ripple effects beyond the country's borders.
China's measures to support the property sector, such as lowering mortgage rates, have limited impact on consumer spending due to the dire economic outlook and lack of longer-term reforms, highlighting the need for resources to be transferred to consumers from other sectors of the economy.
China's real estate sector is facing a split market, with sales picking up in larger cities while slowing down in smaller cities, but further policy support is expected to stabilize the finances of property developers and dispel financial panic in the next two months.
China's real estate and construction sectors are struggling, leading to fears of economic stagnation as consumer spending declines and other areas of the economy are not growing fast enough to make up the difference.
China's weak real estate sector and troubled offshore bond market, coupled with its totalitarian government, make long-term investment unattractive and non-profitable, according to Kyle Bass of Hayman Capital.
China's government is downplaying its economic crisis by promoting positive narratives, while social media campaigns and state-run newspapers attack Western media outlets for biased reporting; however, reports suggest that the property sector downturn is causing significant ramifications, and growth projections for China have been downgraded by major banks.
China's property sector continues to struggle with deepening falls in new home prices, property investment, and sales in August, despite recent support measures, adding pressure to the country's economy.
China's macroeconomic challenges, including deflationary pressures, yuan depreciation, and a struggling property sector, could have broader implications beyond its borders, impacting global metal exporters, trade deals, and global inflation; however, investing in China's stocks may offer compelling valuations despite the current downturn.
China's economy is facing challenges due to its real estate crisis and high levels of mortgage debt, but the government is hesitant to provide fiscal stimulus or redistribute wealth, instead aiming to rely on lending to avoid a potential recession. Banks have cut interest rates and reserve requirements, but it is unlikely to stimulate borrowing. However, economists predict that policymakers will intensify efforts in the coming months, such as changing the definition of first-time home buyers and implementing property easing measures, to address the economic downturn.
China's private firms continue to face obstacles, referred to as "hidden barriers," including unequal financing and market access compared to state-owned enterprises, hindering their growth and development, according to Chinese state media. These barriers, along with the muddied government-business relationship and unfair market access, have contributed to the decline in private investment, while state-owned enterprises have seen an increase in investments. Despite efforts to improve the business environment, questions remain about the effective implementation of measures to boost private sentiment and support the struggling private sector.
Chinese city and provincial governments are struggling with a financial crisis caused by a mountain of debt, leading to desperate measures such as fining restaurants and truck drivers, as they grapple with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and real estate slump.
Hundreds of thousands of Chinese investors are at risk of losing their investments with Zhongzhi Enterprise Group and its trust banking arm, Zhongrong, as these companies have missed payments to investors, fueling concerns of a potential collapse of one of China's largest shadow banks.