China banking regulator vows greater oversight

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) will step up supervision of sprawling financial markets, despite initial success in curbing credit-fueled speculative activities, Chairman Guo Shuqing said at a press conference during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Since late March, the CBRC has issued several policy documents with new and tightened regulations that aim to reduce systemic risks, as well as deleveraging and enhancing governance of the banking sector, Caixin reports. The CBRC has also conducted on-site checks targeting off-balance-sheet activities, including entrusted loans that take advantage of regulatory loopholes to pursue higher returns from more illiquid investments such as the property market. The regulator will restrict funding sources for home builders, while curbing off-balance-sheet debts incurred by local governments, said Guo. He said risks associated with interbank lending and borrowing, wealth management products and off-balance-sheet assets are the focuses of regulatory crackdown, because they may trigger widespread financial risks, or fuel bubbles in the property market.