The level of savings in China is dropping as individulas move their money out of bank accounts and into the frothy stock market, the Wall Street Journal reported. Chinese individuals had a record US$2.26 trillion deposited in bank accounts at the end of March but household bank savings fell US$21 billion in April and US$37 billion in May, according to the People's Bank of China. The drops are the first in six years and may underline a sharp reversal from the period between 2000 and 2006 when savings grew by 2.5 times. A May survey by the bank showed Chinese consumers now showed more enthusiasm to put money in stocks and mutual funds than in savings. The central government is expected to introduce measures to staunch the flow of money from deposits into the stock markets, including raising the deposit interest rate and reducing taxes on bank interest income.
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