Medical and Hospital News
TRADE WARS
Cuts, cash, credit: China's latest bid to jumpstart flagging economy
Cuts, cash, credit: China's latest bid to jumpstart flagging economy
By Peter CATTERALL
Beijing (AFP) Sept 25, 2024

China this week unveiled a bundle of new measures aimed at kickstarting its economy, which has been battered in recent years by unprecedented headwinds including a property sector crisis and sluggish spending.

The stimulus announced by the central bank come after warnings that more state support was needed to get the world's second-largest economy back on track and hit growth targets for 2024.

Here are the steps announced by Beijing this week, and how experts are reacting:

- Rate cuts -

The People's Bank of China on Wednesday cut its medium-term lending facility -- the interest for one-year loans to financial institutions -- from 2.3 percent to 2.0 percent. The rate was last lowered in July.

Most Asian markets rose following the announcement, which came two days after monetary policymakers said they would lower its 14-day lending rate.

The raft of measures, including the cuts, are considered the boldest in years as Beijing aims to revive economic activity.

But Ting Lu, chief China economist at Nomura, said the batch of monetary easing measures has left investors "wondering what Beijing will do next on the fiscal front".

"Eventually fiscal stimulus matters much more when an economy is in a kind of liquidity trap," he said in a note.

- Cash injection -

Bank chief Pan Gongsheng also unveiled a reduction in the reserve requirement ratio -- which dictates how much cash banks must keep on hand -- hoping to boost lending to companies and consumers.

Beijing said the cut would inject around a trillion yuan ($141.7 billion) in long-term liquidity into the financial market.

"The press conference exceeded market expectation," Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note.

The loosening of monetary policy "is somewhat overdue, but nonetheless helpful to lift market confidence", said Zhang.

But he added: "What's missing in the policy package is fiscal policy."

- Mortgage help -

One of the major drags on the economy in recent years is the housing market, which has been mired in a slump -- home sales volume have tracked a steady decline this year.

But Pan said Tuesday that interest rates on existing mortgage loans would be lowered, which he said would benefit 150 million people across China.

"Lower mortgage rates could allow the households to spare a bit more money to spend and should support consumption recovery," said Chaoping Zhu, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management.

- Lower down payments -

In a potential further boost to the housing market, Pan added that minimum down payments for first and second homes would be "unified", with the latter dropping from 25 percent to 15 percent.

"The most effective way for stabilising growth is to end the housing crisis," said Nomura in a note Wednesday, pointing out that measures unveiled by Beijing earlier this year have yet to have a major impact.

A quota for state purchases of unused homes announced in May "has barely been used", Nomura said in a report this month.

"Few new homes have been bought by local governments, the issue of delayed home delivery has failed to be effectively addressed, and the property sector remains in a downturn," it added.

- Swap programme -

Pan said a new "swap programme" allowing firms to acquire liquidity from the central bank would "significantly enhance" their ability to access funds to buy stocks.

However, Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, urged caution despite a market rally that followed.

"The (central bank's) latest moves are promising, but it feels like we're still waiting for the main event," he said.

"Deflation, de-leveraging, and sluggish growth already have investors on edge, but when you toss in surprise measures like this, it starts feeling more like a scramble than a solution.

"It's almost as if they're trying to extinguish a fire with a flame thrower."

pfc/je/dan

NOMURA HOLDINGS

Related Links
Global Trade News

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TRADE WARS
China unveils fresh stimulus to boost ailing economy
Beijing (AFP) Sept 24, 2024
China on Tuesday unveiled some of its boldest measures in years aimed at boosting its struggling economy as leaders grapple with a prolonged property sector debt crisis, continued deflationary pressure and high youth unemployment. The world's second-largest economy has yet to achieve a highly anticipated post-pandemic recovery and the government has set a goal of five percent growth in 2024 - an objective analysts say is optimistic given the headwinds it is facing. On Tuesday, central bank chie ... read more

TRADE WARS
UN holds 'Summit of the Future' to tackle global crises

Water crisis in Flint, Michigan: an American scandal

Flood-hit region leaders to meet in Poland to discuss EU aid

Slow-moving landslides increasing risk to expanding mountain communities

TRADE WARS
China launches two more satellites for Beidou navigation system

SpaceX launches European Galileo satellites to medium Earth orbit

OneWeb Technologies unveils Astra PNT Solution for GPS-Denied Environments

Mathematical Proof Confirms Five Satellites Required for Precise GPS Navigation

TRADE WARS
US woman dies in controversial suicide capsule in Switzerland

Neanderthals' isolated lifestyle may have contributed to their extinction

AI unlocks new understanding of human cognition through brain research

Researchers explore population movement patterns in the Indo-Pacific

TRADE WARS
India's one-horned rhino numbers charging ahead, govt says

Two Uruguayans convicted for trafficking $3 mn in cow gallstones

At COP16, Colombia seeks to lead by example on biodiversity

'Emergency' declared over falling UK butterfly numbers

TRADE WARS
New study reinforces theory Covid emerged at Chinese market

'Virus hunters' track threats to head off next pandemic

Italy records year's first indigenous case of dengue fever

US patient dies from rare mosquito-borne disease

TRADE WARS
China's 'full-time dads' challenge patriarchal norms

China piles extra work on weary youth to ease pension crisis

Hong Kong man faces jail over 'seditious' T-shirt

China frees US pastor detained for nearly two decades

TRADE WARS
Pay up or move out: Drug gangs rob Ecuadorans of homes

UN warns Iraq becoming major regional drug conduit

Guns n' ganja: Weapons flood Catalonia's cannabis trade

Spain, France bust million-euro-a-day money laundering network

TRADE WARS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.