China’s central bank on Thursday cut a key interest rate, in Beijing’s second move this week to try to offset a weakening economy and a housing market crisis.
The unexpected action came as stock markets fell sharply across most of Asia in early trading, in an echo of Wall Street’s sharp drop the day before.
Market indexes were down 1 to 3 percent in Australia, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
That could reflect a favorable response by investors to the central bank’s rate move, or a sign of intervention by the Chinese government, which plays an extensive role in the country’s stock markets.
As markets opened in China on Thursday, the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, reduced its interest rate for one-year loans to commercial banks to 2.3 percent, from 2.5 percent.
Organizations:
People’s Bank of China
Locations:
Asia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, China