### Summary
The risk of a "real Lehman moment" is increasing in China due to a shadow banking crisis and declining property sales, according to Jefferies' global strategist Chris Wood.
### Facts
- 💣 Chinese asset manager Zhongzhi Enterprise's failure to make interest payments on wealth management products indicates a liquidity crisis and highlights the real estate sector's crisis.
- 💰 Chinese equities are a value trap, says Wood.
- 🏢 Evergrande's problems were not a "Lehman moment" because they were induced by the authorities through the "Three Red Lines" policy.
- 🚫 President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaigns and last year's lockdowns have dampened entrepreneurial spirits and damaged China's command economy model.
- 📉 The residential property market's biggest downturn since privatization in the mid-1990s was undermined by lockdowns, even after the relaxation of the "Three Red Lines" policy.
- 💼 For those who believe China is in a "balance sheet recession," owning a dividend index and long government bonds is a recommended strategy.
### Summary
China's economic crisis, particularly in the real estate sector, has far-reaching implications beyond economic sectors, impacting households, consumer confidence, and international investor sentiment, posing a significant challenge for President Xi Jinping's leadership.
### Facts
- 💰 Evergrande Group, one of China's highly indebted property giants, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the U.S., underscoring the gravity of the situation.
- 💣 Brahma Chellaney, a strategic affairs expert, believes that China's real estate crisis presents a significant challenge for President Xi Jinping's leadership and may lead to increased risk-taking and potential crackdowns on protests.
- 🔗 Evergrande's struggles are mirrored by Country Garden, another major player, which warned of up to a $7.6 billion first-half loss and apologized for misjudging market conditions.
- 🌍 The real estate slump in China is part of a larger economic crisis, with structural constraints like an aging population and mounting debt adding to the woes, potentially hindering China's ambition to become a global economic superpower.
- 📉 Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a Fellow for China Studies, highlighted concerns of foreign investors regarding contagion effects from the real estate sector's financing practices and the state of China's shadow-banking system. The trust industry, valued at $2.9 trillion, has attracted regulatory attention as authorities seek to manage potential risks.
### Summary
Foreign banks are lowering their China forecasts as the property sector shows increasing signs of distress with missed payments by major developers.
### Facts
- 💰 Property contagion concerns are rising as foreign banks revise their China forecasts downwards.
- 💵 Developer Country Garden has missed payments on two dollar-denominated bonds.
- 💸 Zhongzhi Group, one of China's largest trust companies, has missed payments on multiple financial products.
Foreign banks are lowering their China forecasts due to signs of distress in the property sector, with missed payments by developer Country Garden and trust company Zhongzhi Group contributing to rising concerns.
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.
Despite Chinese companies committing over a billion dollars to share buybacks, these efforts have failed to restore confidence in the struggling market, as foreign investors continue to sell off Chinese stocks due to concerns over the property market and other factors.
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 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.
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's largest private property developer, Country Garden, has warned of default risks if its financial performance continues to deteriorate, following a record loss in the first half of the year. The company's net loss between January and June amounted to 48.9 billion yuan ($6.72 billion), compared to a net loss of 6.7 billion yuan in the second half of 2022 and a net profit of 612 million yuan in the first half of 2022. This comes as Chinese authorities are working to revive the troubled property market, which accounts for approximately a quarter of the country's economy.
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 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.
Weak governance and poor disclosure practices in China's corporate sector are causing international money managers to become increasingly wary of investing in the country, potentially leading to limited access to financing and higher borrowing costs for Chinese companies in the future.
Despite the risks and challenges of doing business in China, many Western companies still see it as a long-term bet due to its economic potential, but they are increasingly cautious and aware of the hazards they face.
China's real estate market downturn, characterized by falling property prices and potential defaults by developers, poses significant risks to Chinese banks, global markets, and Asian economies closely linked to China through trade and investment. The situation has prompted cautiousness among international investors and led to negative impacts on Japan's exports.
Chinese stocks have passed the worst of the selling pressure and are still attractive to investors due to their cheap valuation and potential for growth, according to CLSA. However, Beijing needs to address concerns and risks in the economy. The MSCI China Index has fallen this year, but a pause in the Federal Reserve's tightening policy is expected to reverse market pessimism.
China-focused investment firms have struggled to generate returns for their investors, with only four U.S. dollar-denominated venture capital funds established between 2015 and 2020 able to return all the money invested, reflecting a lack of IPOs and the need for alternative exit strategies such as mergers and acquisitions or general partner-led deals.
Chinese investors are rushing to sell their overseas properties, particularly in Southeast Asia, due to worsening financial conditions and the need for cash to solve domestic issues such as business failures and mortgage loan defaults. Uncertain economic conditions, low confidence in production and consumption, and tightening regulations on property developers in China have contributed to the struggle to offload these investments.
China's financial system and economy are facing significant risks, resembling a "Minsky moment," as it doubles down on excessive debt, invests in nonproductive enterprises, experiences weak economic growth, and faces internal unrest and military aggression, which could have global implications.
China's property market blowup, which has led to major developers struggling and low housing sales, may not necessarily result in a financial crisis due to the unique characteristics of China's housing market and Beijing's control over the financial system, but it is expected to cause significant damage to bank balance sheets and potentially lead to widespread financial turbulence if support is not provided to local governments and small lenders.
China's asset-backed securities market, which has seen significant growth in recent years, may pose risks due to the potential for fraud and the interdependencies among banks. The complex nature of these financial instruments, as demonstrated during the global financial crisis, could lead to a domino effect and have negative implications for China's economy.
Chinese bank Jinzhou Bank's troubles may be a sign of hidden bad debts across the country's finance sector, which is already grappling with defaults, unpaid debts, and defaults on payments owed to investors, posing a worrying prospect for the industry.
Chinese regional banks could face a capital shortfall of $301 billion due to the deepening local government debt crisis, caused by the property sector turmoil, with concerns rising over default risks from local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) as a result of the decline in the real estate market.
