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Quarterly profit announcements by Chinese banks this month have set off a national debate over whether the banking sector is excessively profitable. Criticisms of bank profitability have even come from prominent former People’s Bank of China (PBoC) officials. Wu Xiaoling described bank profits as unreasonable (Chinese language) and Li Daokui referred to banks as profit-devouring [...]
Near-term China investment decisions and US trade and economic policymaking are influenced by competing views of China’s longer-term outlook. Yet economic models of China’s long-term growth are shaky, debatable and hence few in number. Official statements from China’s leadership about long-term expectations, and more importantly about the composition of long-term economic growth, are even more [...]
Note: This post is based on an author’s intervention at the International Conference of RCIE, KIET, and APEA on China and the World Economy, Seattle, March 16, 2012. The progress of China towards financial integration and the internationalization of renminbi is a matter of great importance. While the world economy remains financially unstable, accessing the [...]
The Chinese press is full of stories documenting the difficulties small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have obtaining financing. Contrary to popular belief, the problem is not that SMEs are being crowded out by large enterprises. The SME share of total business loans has been relatively stable in the past several years. Moreover, the pace of [...]
The Chinese housing market is clearly undergoing a correction that may eventually bring housing prices back to a more reasonable level. As the past several years have made all too apparent, housing downturns are economically painful and can lead to larger economic crises. The network of financial leverage that fueled the US housing bubble turned [...]