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☆ Hong Kong central bank leaves interest rate unchanged, tracking Fed move
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A taxi drives in front of skyscrapers at the central business district, including AIA Central, China Construction Bank (CCB) Tower, Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank headquarters, in Hong Kong, China August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Thursday left its base rate charged through the overnight discount window unchanged at 5.75%, tracking a move by the U.S. Federal Reserve to keep rates steady. The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday as policymakers paused its aggressive tightening of monetary policy to consider if conditions were restrictive enough to tame inflation. "The Hong Kong dollar exchange rate remains stable, and the Hong Kong dollar interbank rates might remain high for some time," HKMA said in a statement, adding that local financial and monetary markets continue to operate in a smooth and orderly manner. Hong Kong's monetary policy moves in lock-step with the United States as the city's currency is pegged to the greenback in a tight range of 7.75-7.85 per dollar.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, HKMA, Donny Kwok, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: AIA Central, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Cheung, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, REUTERS, Hong, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, U.S . Federal Reserve, Hong Kong, Thomson Locations: Cheung Kong, Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, U.S, United States

☆ Exclusive: China tells banks to roll over local government debts as risks mount - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Local government debt reached 92 trillion yuan ($12.58 trillion), or 76% of the country's economic output in 2022, up from 62.2% in 2019. Reuters is reporting these measures for banks to defuse local debt risks for the first time. Banks are being encouraged to issue new loans to LGFVs to repay bonds and non-standard debt, the sources said. And, Chinese investors are rushing to buy bonds of LGFVs, including from the riskiest issuers, as Beijing's attempts to reduce local debt risks encourages them to bet on an implicit government guarantee. Over 2.1 trillion yuan LGFV bonds matured in the first half of 2023, and another 1.75 trillion yuan in the second half of this year and 1.69 trillion yuan in the first half of 2024, the highest maturity pressure in history, the note said.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, ”, National Financial Regulatory Administration didn't, Banks, CLIFF LGFVs, LGFVs, Simon Cameron, Moore, Kim Coghill Organizations: AIA Central, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Cheung, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank, REUTERS, Rights, People's Bank of China, Reuters, Treasury, National Financial Regulatory Administration, Communist Party, ANZ Research, UBS, Financial, Beijing, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Cheung Kong, Hong Kong, China, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, Tianjin, Guizhou, Guangxi

☆ With record youth unemployment, China’s jobs market is getting tougher for new graduates to crack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The unemployment rate for young people ages 16 to 24 in China has soared to record highs above 20% in May and April. Many requested anonymity since youth unemployment can be a sensitive topic in China, especially for those in the middle of a job search or just starting a career. watch nowThe unemployment rate for China's young people ages 16 to 24 climbed to a new record high in June of 21.3%. Youth unemployment has remained persistently high over the last three years, while the overall jobless rate for people in cities has officially stayed far lower, near 5%. Zhang expects the unemployment rate for young people to drop toward the end of the year, after the summer graduation season.

Persons: Kevin Frayer, Zhang Chenggang, —, Zhang, Cheung, Caixin, Sun, “ Organizations: Getty, BEIJING, CNBC, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huawei, U.S . News, Capital University of Economics, Business, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business Locations: China, Shanghai, U.S, Beijing

Hong Kong island and Victoria Harbour cityscape, viewed from Victoria Peak. In the foreground, the Bank of China tower and Cheung Kong Center skyscrapers. Asia-Pacific markets were trading mixed on Thursday with Hong Kong looking to extend its gains. On Wednesday, Hong Kong markets gained over 2%, led by China's tech giant Alibaba on news of its major shakeup. South Korea's Kospi was up fractionally, while the Kosdaq index gained 0.54%.

☆ Hong Kong’s office landlords face a tough rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Thomas Shum | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HONG KONG, March 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong offices are emptier than in other Asian financial centres. Singapore and Tokyo boast rates well under half of Hong Kong’s level, and figures there are either improving or roughly unchanged. Last year, mainland-based companies accounted for less than 6% of all leases in Hong Kong’s key Central business district, from nearly 30% in 2019. Hong Kong’s economy shrunk for three of the last four years, and its population is slimming too. However, the plan to reduce its office footprint may not apply to Hong Kong, a person familiar with the situation told Breakingviews.

HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Hong Kong’s third-quarter GDP plunged 4.5% from a year earlier as consumers and companies slashed spending. The government is trying to rally enthusiasm for its finance sector - as signaled by the flagship Fintech Week and Global Financial Leaders Investment Summit events happening this week. Beijing's commitment to stamping out Covid-19 infections on the mainland has halted vital flows of tourists and business people to Hong Kong. Moreover, Hong Kong's currency peg to the U.S. dollar means it must follow the U.S. Federal Reserve's rate hikes even though its inflation rate is less than half that in the United States. "Looking ahead, the markedly deteriorating external environment will continue to pose immense pressure on Hong Kong's export performance in the remainder of the year," the city government said.

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