Shadow banking assets estimated to rise 21%

Source: Xinhua | 2017-05-09

CHINA’S shadow banking assets are estimated to grow by 21 percent to 64.5 trillion yuan (US$9.3 trillion) in 2016, slowing from the 30 percent rise in 2015, as liquidity is tightened in the country’s financial system, Moody’s Investor Service said in a report yesterday.

China’s banking, insurance and securities regulators have recently been clamping down on asset bubbles.

“The Chinese authorities recognize the risks in the shadow banking sector and are seeking to address them through new regulatory guidelines,” said George Xu, a Moody’s associate analyst. “Preventing financial risks has become one of the government’s top priorities this year.”

Moody’s warned in the report that risks may rise from the growing interconnectedness between medium and small-sized banks and the shadow banking sector.