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☆ China suffers its first foreign investment deficit as US tensions and anti-spying laws spark a western exodus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China just posted a quarterly foreign investment deficit for the first time. Officials have released foreign direct investment figures each quarter for the past 25 years – and it's the first time the gauge has turned negative, Reuters reported. The deficit suggests that western countries and companies are shunning China with Sino-US tensions steadily rising and new anti-spying laws spooking international investors. Analysts flagged that clampdown as one factor driving the decline in foreign direct investment. The foreign direct investment deficit is far from the only economic headache that Beijing faces.

Persons: China's, —, Joe Biden, Duncan Wrigley, Mark Mobius, he'd Organizations: Service, State Administration of Foreign, Reuters, Analysts, Macroeconomics, Bloomberg, " International, Micron, Bain, Co Locations: China, Beijing, Shanghai

That is true both for the two countries at the national level, and for state-level engagement. California has a steady and long working relationship with China. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican governor, started the formal relationship with China over climate cooperation a decade ago, Jaros said. State regulators also have banned the sale of most new gas-powered cars in California by 2035. Meanwhile, the California family of a Christian pastor who has been detained in China since 2006 said Newsom should take any possible opportunity to argue for his release.

Persons: Gavin Newsom’s, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, China “, ”, Alex Wang, Trump, Kyle Jaros, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jaros, Democrat Jerry Brown, “, Wang, Newsom, he’s, Jinping, Alfred Wu, David Lin’s Organizations: —, China -, U.S, Economic Cooperation, UCLA, University of Notre Dame, Republican, Democrat, UCLA’s Emmett Institute, Democratic, National University of Singapore Locations: BANGKOK, — California, China, San Francisco, Asia, California, Hong Kong, U.S, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ China's new bonds to help economic recovery, official says, as budget deficit rises
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Oct 25 (Reuters) - China's new sovereign bonds will help bolster the economic recovery, China's vice finance minister Zhu Zhongming said on Wednesday, as the government's stepped-up fiscal stimulus sharply raises its budget deficit. The government's debt level is still within a reasonable range, the minister said, without giving details. Analysts at UBS expect the government to raise its budget deficit and special local bond quotas for 2024, alongside further cuts in interest rates and bank reserve requirement ratios. China's parliament has also approved a bill to allow local governments to front load part of 2024 local bond quotas. Local governments had been told to complete the issuance of the 2023 quota of 3.8 trillion yuan in special local bonds by September to fund infrastructure projects.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Zhu Zhongming, Zhu, Ting Lu, Ellen Zhang, Kevin Yao, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nomura, UBS, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, Beijing, China

☆ Why China's 1 trillion yuan debt plan isn't necessarily such a big deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Kim Kyung-Hoon | ReutersBEIJING — Chinese authorities late Tuesday announced one of the biggest changes to the national budget in years, along with the issuance of 1 trillion yuan in ($137 billion) in government bonds. Chinese state media said the 1 trillion yuan in central government issuance is set to be transferred to local governments in two parts, half for this year and half for next year. "It is roughly around 5% of transfer revenues or 2% of total revenues for the local governments," Yin said. "Note a special program has already been started since October, allowing local governments to issue special refinancing bonds to swap their outstanding hidden debt. Goldman Sachs analysts estimated the early issuance could be as much as 2.7 trillion yuan, based on prior government practice.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Hoon, Larry Hu, it's, Ting Lu, Yin, Nomura's Lu, Ricky Tsang, they're, Tsang, —, Goldman Sachs, Macquarie's Hu, It's Organizations: Reuters, Macquarie, Monetary Fund, People's Bank of Locations: Beijing, Reuters BEIJING, China, Hong Kong, People's Bank of China

☆ 'Steve Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson says Apple will be the company 'most hurt' if economic tensions between US and China escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

As some US companies cut back on their dependence on China, Apple could be hardest hit, says Steve Jobs' biographer. Walter Isaacson told "Squawk Box" that "it'll be hardest" for Apple to decrease reliance on China. AdvertisementAdvertisementAs more US companies are trying to cut back on relying on China for business, Apple could be the one hardest hit if economic tensions continue to escalate. "Most companies are trying to decrease their dependence on China, but it'll be the hardest for Apple to do that." More than 95% of iPhones, Macs, AirPods, and iPads are made in China, according to the Financial Times.

Persons: Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson, Tim Cook, —, Elon Musk, CNBC's, Apple, Isaacson, it'll, we've, Wang Wentao, Terry Gou Organizations: Apple, Service, Tesla, Bloomberg, Counterpoint Research, YouTube, Wall Street, Financial Times Locations: China, Beijing, Chengdu, Taiwan

ON TRACK FOR GOVT GDP TARGETThe recovery momentum suggests the government's full year 2023 growth target of around 5.0% is likely to be achieved. The key issue is what growth target the government will set and how much fiscal easing will take place." The statistics bureau said China would be able to hit the 2023 growth target if the fourth quarter growth tops 4.4%. Moody's Analytics has also raised its 2023 growth projection to 5% from 4.9%. The faltering property sector has hit some of the biggest developers in the country.

Persons: Matt Simpson, Zhiwei Zhang, Tingshu Wang, Frederic Neumann, Louise Loo, Ellen Zhang, Joe Cash, Kevin Yao, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Gross, National Bureau, Statistics, Reuters, Index, New, REUTERS, Nomura, JPMorgan, Analysts, Country Garden Holdings, HK, Global Research, HSBC, Oxford Economics, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Brisbane, U.S, Beijing, China, New Zealand, Asia

☆ Asia frets on Middle East risks, looming China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"A major spike in volatility and a downgrade of the global economic growth outlook is possible." The threat to the global economy comes just as China is set to release data likely showing annual economic growth slowed sharply in the third quarter to around 4.4%. Figures for retail sales and industrial output for September will also offer insight into whether activity is finally responding to Beijing's recent stimulus measures. Bonds took that badly, with two-year yields surging as much as 14 basis points on Tuesday to a 16-year peak of 5.24%. Oil prices swung higher once more, driven by data showing a fall in crude stocks and amid concerns over the Middle East.

Persons: Issei Kato, Bonds, Joe Biden's, Stocks, scurrying, Brent, Wayne Cole, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Nikkei, CBA, Japan's Nikkei, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Biden, Netflix, JPMorgan, Atlanta Fed, Federal Reserve, ., Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Gaza, China, SYDNEY, Iran, Israel, Asia, Pacific

☆ China's Q3 GDP seen slowing as Beijing races to revive growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Gross domestic product (GDP) likely grew 4.4% in July-September from a year earlier, according to economists polled by Reuters, slowing from the 6.3% pace in the second quarter. Separate data on September activity is expected to show retail sales growth picking up but factory output slowing. Economic growth is seen hitting 5.0% this year, according to the poll, broadly in line Beijing’s full-year target, before slowing to 4.5% in 2024. For its part, the central bank is constrained by how much it can ease monetary policy due to worries about adding pressure on the yuan, which has tumbled 5.7% this year. The central bank cut the RRR in September to boost liquidity and support the economic recovery, its second reduction this year.

Persons: Thomas Peter, ”, Ting Lu Organizations: Central Business District, REUTERS, Gross, Reuters, Nomura Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China

"There's increasing evidence that the cyclical upturn in the global electronics sector is driving a bottoming-out of global trade and China's trade data is the latest sign," said Xu Tianchen, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Reuters GraphicsSouth Korean exports to China, a leading indicator of China's imports, fell at their slowest pace in 11 months in September. Semiconductors make up the bulk of their trade, signalling improving appetite among Chinese manufacturers for components to re-export in finished goods. However, Lv Daliang, spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs, said at a press conference on Friday that China's trade still faces a complex and severe external environment. Overall, though, total merchandise imports fell at a slower pace, down 6.3%, reflecting a gradual recovery in domestic demand.

Persons: Smart, David Kirton, Xu Tianchen, it's, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Zou Lan, Premier Li Qiang, Li, Robert Carnell, Kevin Yao, Albee Zhang, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: Trade, REUTERS, Economist Intelligence Unit, Reuters Graphics South, Semiconductors, Administration of Customs, ASEAN, Federal Reserve, China Economics, Capital Economics, People's Bank of, Premier, Bloomberg, ING, Thomson Locations: Qianhai, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, BEIJING, United States, Europe, Stocks, People's Bank of China, Beijing, Asia, Pacific

☆ UK stocks fall after Bailey's hawkish tone on interest rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Khushi Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The commodity-focussed FTSE 100 (.FTSE) was down 0.1%, while the mid-cap index FTSE 250 (.FTMC) lost 0.5%. The yield on the UK benchmark bond edged higher after Bailey's comments but remained lower for the day at 4.402%. "Although higher dollar and yields would typically weaken gold, the geopolitical concerns are pushing gold higher," said Giles Coghlan, chief market analyst at GCFX. Industrial metal miners (.FTNMX551020) also advanced 0.6% following a rise in copper prices. UK wealth manager St James's Place (SJP.L) was pushed by regulators to overhaul fees, with the stock tumbling 13.5% to the bottom of the FTSE 100.

Persons: Toby Melville, Ashmore, Andrew Bailey, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey, Giles Coghlan, Coghlan, St James's, Khushi Singh, Sonia Cheema, Sohini Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank of England, Mining, Shell, BP, St, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, James's, Iran, Israel, China, Bengaluru

☆ Morgan Stanley says China's reflation journey will be 'slow and bumpy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMorgan Stanley says China's reflation journey will be 'slow and bumpy'More reflationary and restructuring policy at the Chinese Communist Party's December central economic work conference will help lift inflation print to a more normal range, said Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's chief China economist.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, China's, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley's Organizations: Communist Locations: China

☆ Yellen, China's top central banker talk about debt, economic developments -US Treasury
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen and People’s Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng pose before holding a bilateral meeting on the fifth day of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, following last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Susana Vera Acquire Licensing RightsMARRAKECH, Morocco, Oct 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and People's Bank of China Governor Pan Gongsheng on Friday held a "substantive and productive" meeting that covered debt, financial architecture and future economic communications, a Treasury spokesperson said. "During the substantive and productive meeting, Secretary Yellen and Governor Pan exchanged views on macroeconomic and financial developments," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement after the meeting on the sidelines of International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Morocco. "They also discussed the international financial architecture and debt issues, as well as how to make the Financial Working Group co-chaired by Treasury and the PBOC substantive and productive," the spokesperson said, referring to one of two new U.S.-China economic communications groups launched in September. Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Pan Gongsheng, Susana Vera, Yellen, Pan, David Lawder, Alex Richardson Organizations: People’s Bank of China, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Rights, . Treasury, People's Bank of China, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Rights MARRAKECH, China

[1/5] China's and Hong Kong's flags are seen on the pedestrian footbridge as decorations for the celebration of National Day, at the financial central district in Hong Kong, China October 3, 2023. "The last few years have created a very negative image of Hong Kong," said Inaki Amate, chairman of the European chamber in Hong Kong, one of the speakers at the M+ event. Executives point to the changing fabric of Hong Kong with mainlanders making up more than nine-out-of-ten of all those approved to work under government talent schemes. "If we believe that Hong Kong will be able to recover its most international Asia city status by continuing on this trend, we are very wrong," said Amate. “You’ve got what happened with the national security law, the pandemic and now you’ve got a pretty big problem with China’s economy.

Persons: Tyrone Siu, Inaki Amate, Paul Chan, haven’t, ”, Tara Joseph, “ You’ve, you’ve, Hong, Robert Walters, Patrick Ip, David Baverez, Baverez, Dorothy Kam, Scott Murdoch, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Tyrone, European Union, Hong, Monetary, American Chamber of Commerce, Colliers, Companies, National Bank Australia, ASEAN Investment Cooperation, COVID ., COVID . Asia Pacific, Thomson Locations: Hong Kong, China, HONG KONG, Hong, British, Asia, Singapore, Dubai, COVID, COVID . Asia, Europe, “

☆ China's domestic tourism is finally back to pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Both figures were lower than what Chinese state media had earlier cited the ministry as predicting: 896 million trips and 782.5 billion yuan in domestic tourism revenue. Golden Week domestic tourism revenue was 753.43 billion yuan ($103.24 billion) — a 1.5% increase from that in 2019, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism . The number of domestic tourist trips rose by 4.1% from 2019 to 826 million during the latest eight-day holiday, the ministry said. BEIJING — China's big "Golden Week" holiday saw domestic tourism rebound to around pre-pandemic levels, while overseas travel had yet to fully recover, according to official figures. That was also below earlier predictions, reported by state media, which forecast nearly 1.6 million trips across the border a day.

Persons: Morgan, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley, Trip.com, Jane Sun, CNBC's Eunice Yoon Organizations: China, Golden, China's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, BEIJING, National Immigration Administration, China's Labor Locations: China, Beijing, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, France, Europe

☆ Can China's economy reverse a sluggish 2023 in the last quarter? Here's what to watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In 2020, Beijing tried to rein in real estate developers' high reliance on debt with new restrictions on financing. "The decline in the real estate sector was the result of the government's intentional measures to correct the bubbles in the market," Yao said. But he and other economists mostly don't expect real estate to return to significant growth in the future. Morgan StanleyThis week, worries about China's real estate sector persisted with highly indebted Evergrande running into more liquidity problems — along with reports Wednesday its chairman has been put under surveillance. This month, weekly data from Nomura indicate the real estate sales slump has moderated.

Persons: Stringer, Yao Yang, Yao, Dan Wang, Morgan Stanley, Clifford Lau, William Blair, China's, Robin Xing, there's, Bruce Pang, Pang doesn't Organizations: Afp, Getty, National School of Development, Peking University, Hang, China Center for Economic Research, Communist Party, Financial Work, Communist Party of, Nomura, CNBC Locations: Chongqing, China, BEIJING, Covid, Beijing, Shanghai, Hang Seng China, Communist Party of China, JLL

☆ China's new trading rules target more oversight, not killing 'flash boys', says lobby group
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI/SINGAPORE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - China's securities regulators have told market participants that tighter rules for programme trading were not designed to kill the business, but were a response to calls for more oversight, according Asia's largest financial lobby group ASIFMA. "There's no intent to be prejudiced against high frequency trading firms," said Lyndon Chao, ASIFMA managing director and head of equities and post trade. Quant funds in China include global players such as Winton, Two Sigma and D.E.Shaw though these three aren't members of ASIFMA. The rules "came out all of a sudden because the regulators might be facing pressure from investors suffering from recent poor stock market performance," he said. There are a lot of quant funds out there that do a great job of injecting liquidity when needed.

Persons: Lyndon Chao, They're, ASIFMA, Chao, Ren Zeping, Liu Yuhui, ASIFMA's Chao, Samuel Shen, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Sigma, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, China, Winton, Shanghai, Shenzhen

☆ Fixing China's property sector could take years — if not a decade, says economist
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowChina's urbanization drive may be drawing to a close — and that could further hurt the already ailing property sector, according to China economist Hao Hong. "Fixing the property sector may be a multi-year or even a decade's work in front of us. China's property market has been embattled by faltering consumer confidence, as property giants Evergrande and Country Garden are mired in debt problems. Not having an overbearing Chinese property sector actually is good for the Chinese economy going forward. Hong noted that 18 trillion yuan ($2.46 trillion) worth of Chinese property were sold two years ago.

Persons: Hao Hong, Hong, Hao, Qilai Shen, Keng, China's Organizations: Grow Investment, Hao Hong Grow Investment, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: China, Shanghai's, Shanghai

☆ Crisis at Evergrande deepens as it misses another bond payment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Evergrande Group has just missed another bond payment, casting further doubt over the future of the embattled property developer at the epicenter of China’s real estate crisis. China’s property industry once accounted for as much as 30% of the country’s gross domestic product. Questions about financial stabilityConcerns over China’s economic stability have resurfaced, driven by the deepening financial crisis at Evergrande, said Stephen Innes, managing partner of SPI Asset Management. On Sunday, Evergrande surprised investors with an announcement that it was unable to issue new notes due to the investigation into Hengda. It was the first criminal probe launched against Evergrande since it was hit by the debt crisis nearly two years ago.

Persons: Evergrande, Tao Wang, Stephen Innes, ”, Innes, Mengchen Zhang, Marc Stewart Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — Evergrande, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Getty, China, Asia Economics, UBS, CNN, Evergrande Locations: China, Hong Kong, AFP, Asia, Evergrande

☆ China's economic situation isn't as dire as it seems, and policymakers in Beijing were just expecting too much, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China's economy isn't doing as bad as it seems, according to economist Nancy Qian. But Beijing has been disappointed due to outsized expectations for economic growth. Though it's weighed down by a bloated property sector and looming demographic problems, China's economic growth actually clocked in at 6.3% year-over-year over the second quarter, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. That's the second-highest projected growth rate among countries tracked by the OECD, with the US, by comparison, slated to grow just 2.2% this year. AdvertisementAdvertisement"But is China's economy really in dire straits?

Persons: Nancy Qian, it's, That's, Qian Organizations: Service, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, OECD, Northwestern University, Northwester's, Research Lab, China Econ, Syndicate, Japan Locations: Beijing, Wall, Silicon, China, Italy, Spain, Sweden

☆ US Treasury launches US-China economic, financial working groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday said it was formally launching two new U.S.-China working groups on economic and financial issues aimed at providing a regular policy communications forum between the world's two largest economies. In a statement, the Treasury said the two groups would "meet on a regular cadence" and report to Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. China's Ministry of Finance will be Treasury's counterpart for the Economic Working Group, while the People's Bank of China will be its counterpart for the Financial Working Group. China's Finance Ministry and central bank both issued statements confirming the establishment of the economic and financial working groups but gave few details beyond saying they were aimed at strengthening communication and collaboration on these issues. Establishment of the two working groups also follows Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's agreement with Chinese officials in August to establish a working group on U.S. export controls aimed at explaining U.S. policies.

Persons: Yellen, Gina Raimondo's, Donald Trump, David Lawder, Christina Fincher Organizations: U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury, China's Ministry, Finance, Economic, People's Bank of, Financial, China's Finance Ministry, State, Thomson Locations: China, China's, People's Bank of China, Beijing, U.S, Washington

☆ Analysis: China's economic woes embolden calls for deeper reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Kevin Yao | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Both camps argue their proposals should be treated with urgency by policymakers, ahead of the annual Central Economic Work Conference, an agenda-setting gathering of top leaders expected in December. The pro-reform camp is beating the drum for faster structural reforms, including relaxing the system of residence permits, or "hukou", to spur consumption, removing market entry barriers for private firms at the cost of state giants. Reforms are urgently needed as growth engines such as property, exports and infrastructure are stalling, he said. Structural reforms with expansionary effects can also have immediate effects." TIGHTROPEDespite the heated debate, analysts expect Chinese leaders can walk a tightrope between stimulus and reforms.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Yu Yongding, Yu, Kristalina Georgieva, Liu Shijin, Liu, It's, Tao Wang, Deng Xiaoping, Yi Xianrong, Kevin Yao, Sam Holmes Organizations: Central Business, REUTERS, Economic Work Conference, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Fund, UBS, Asian Development Bank, Qingdao University, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, China's, United States

☆ China's economic troubles have left some cities so cash-strapped they're resorting to bizarre fines, skipping bills, and slashing health coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Chinese cities are majorly cash-strapped as the economy grapples with debt and deflation. Local governments have resorted to handing out bizarre tickets and shirking bills to make money. That's led some cities to start imposing bizarre fines in the hopes of scraping together enough cash to meet their obligations. The state-funded China's Endangered Species Fund, for instance, says it hasn't received cash from the government for about half a year. Experts have warned of a bleak future ahead for China's economy, which is straddled with big debt loads, a deflation problem, and still-sluggish demand from its two-year COVID-lockdown.

Persons: shirk, That's, hasn't Organizations: Service, CNN, Yuekai Securities, Species Fund, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Guangdong, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Weibo, Wuhan

☆ Stella Yifan Xie — Reporter at The Wall Street Journal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Stella Yifan Xie | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Stella Yifan XieStella Yifan Xie is a Hong Kong-based reporter covering the Chinese economy. Previously at the Journal, she reported on capital markets and finance topics in China from both Shanghai and Hong Kong bureaus. Stella was part of a team that won a citation from the Overseas Press Club in international business reporting in 2021. Stella joined the Journal in 2015 from American Public Media’s Marketplace radio program. She also worked at China Economic Review magazine.

Persons: Stella Yifan Xie Stella Yifan Xie, Stella Organizations: Overseas Press Club, National Press Foundation, American, China Economic Locations: Hong Kong, China, Shanghai

☆ China keeps benchmark rates unchanged as economy finds footing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, the central bank (PBOC), in Beijing, China September 30, 2022. The one-year loan prime rate (LPR) was kept at 3.45%, while the five-year LPR was unchanged at 4.20%. Most new and outstanding loans in China are based on the one-year LPR, while the five-year rate influences the pricing of mortgages. Despite the steady LPR, some market watchers said recent property easing measures suggest cuts to the five-year LPR and more policy stimulus are likely in coming months. China cut the one-year benchmark lending rate in August but surprised markets by keeping the five-year rate unchanged.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Xing Zhaopeng, Xing, Wang Tao, Winni Zhou, Tom Westbrook, Sam Holmes Organizations: People's Bank of China, REUTERS, Rights, ANZ, UBS, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, United States

☆ Sunac, Country Garden debt deals bring respite for China's property sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Chinese developers Sunac (1918.HK) and Country Garden (2007.HK) brought some relief to the crisis-hit property sector by forging debt deals with creditors, but the outlook remained clouded by uncertainty about a recovery in home sales. Shares in Sunac China Holdings surged as much as 14% on Tuesday after creditors approved its $9 billion offshore debt restructuring plan, the first green light of such a debt overhaul by a major Chinese developer. The developments come as Beijing steps up efforts to revive the property sector, which accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's second-largest economy, with a raft of support measures unveiled over the last few weeks. While Sunac is among a string of Chinese developers that have defaulted on their offshore debt obligations since an unprecedented liquidity crisis hit the property sector in 2021, Country Garden has not missed any offshore payments yet. PROPERTY SECTOR OUTLOOKMajor developers in the process of restructuring their debt include China Evergrande Group (3333.HK), whose liquidity crunch was a turning point in the country's real estate crisis.

Persons: Sunac, Gary Ng, ANZ Senior China Economist Betty Wang, It's, Donny Kwok, Xie Yu, Steven Bian, Kevin Huang, Anne Marie Roantree, Sumeet Chatterjee, Lincoln Organizations: HK, Sunac China Holdings, Country Garden, Natixis Corporate, Investment Bank, China Evergrande, ANZ Senior China Economist, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, Beijing, Hong Kong, Sunac, China, Shanghai

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