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Banking & Finance Law & Regulation

Non-performing loans said to more than double in 2015

New non-performing loans at China’s banks more than doubled in 2015 to reach more than RMB500 billion (US$76.06 billion), Reuters reported, citing unnamed attendees of a government work conference. Total non-performing loans had reached RMB1.95 trillion (US$296.8 billion) as of the end of 2015. China Banking Regulatory Commission Chairman Shang Fulin told the work conference that as China’s […]

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Banking & Finance Economics & Trade Law & Regulation Politics & Society

Onshore, offshore exchange rates of yuan converge

The onshore and offshore exchange rates for the yuan converged on Tuesday as state-owned banks sold US dollars and bought the Chinese currency in the offshore market to help strengthen the yuan there by as much as 1.5%, The Wall Street Journal reported. The buy-up drove a shortage of liquidity that pushed up borrowing costs, […]

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Banking & Finance Law & Regulation Politics & Society

State Council said to prepare for elevation of finance department

China’s State Council has established a new working group in preparation for the upgrading of its financial department to a bureau-level entity amid growing concerns over what many have viewed as regulatory missteps, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. The group, which would mark a greater supervisory role in finance for the council, will be headed […]

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Banking & Finance Investment

UBS to add 600 staff to China for financial services

Swiss bank UBS will double its China staff in the next five years, adding around 600 people in areas including wealth management, investment banking, equities, fixed income and asset management, Bloomberg reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Sergio Ermotti. UBS earned US$81 million in fees underwriting domestic Chinese bonds and equities and advising on mergers and acquisitions […]

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Banking & Finance Economics & Trade Law & Regulation Politics & Society

PBOC chief economist asserts yuan fix not proof of weakening policy

The chief economist of the People’s Bank of China, Ma Jun, reasserted on Monday that the central bank’s daily fix of the yuan’s trading band is based on the previous day’s closing price and changes in the currency basket against which it is valued, Bloomberg reported, citing a statement published to the central bank’s website. […]