Chinese Economics Thread

Strangelove

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China announces special bond worth 750 billion yuan to spur economic growth

By Global Times Published: Dec 10, 2022 01:34 AM


RMB Photo:VCG

RMB Photo:VCG

China said on Friday that it will issue a 2022 special bond worth 750 billion yuan ($107.93 billion) on December 12 to boost the economy, as an optimized COVID-19 response adjustment sends the world's second-largest economy on the fast track to a rebound.

Observers said the rare issuance, which usually serves financing needs for specific major national projects during critical times, indicates a significant policy signal and determination from the central government, and expected the funds to lay the ground for a sound recovery and lift market expectations across China.

The issuance aims to raise funds for the development of the national economy and social undertakings, read a statement on the official website of China's Ministry of Finance (MOF).

The notes are three-year fixed-rate interest-bearing bonds that will be issued to relevant domestic banks in the inter-bank bond market. They can also be publicly traded, MOF said.

The bonds are to refinance notes coming due on December 12.

"The issuance comes at a very special time, while China's accelerating its resumption pace and the market needs more stimulus," Dong Dengxin, Director of the Finance and Securities Institute of the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, told the Global Times on Friday.

Dong noted that unlike regular government debt, special treasury bonds are "special budget" that are not included in deficit calculations but earmarked for specific major projects at "special times," which are often closely related to solving major financial or reform issues.

The first three issuances were in 1998, 2007, and 2020, with amounts of 270 billion yuan, 1.55 trillion yuan, and 1 trillion yuan, respectively. In addition, there was another time in 2017 that the special treasury bonds due in 2007 were renewed.

The 1 trillion yuan of notes in 2020 were launched early during the pandemic. Some 700 billion yuan from that sale was given to local governments to support their anti-epidemic efforts and infrastructure investment, while the rest was brought into the central government's general public budget, according to a report by MOF.

In 1998, during the Asian financial crisis, all the 270 billion yuan in funds raised by the special treasury bonds - the nation's biggest issuance at that time - was used to supplement the capital of its four major state-owned banks. The notes issued in 2007 were used to purchase about $200 billion in foreign exchange to capitalize China Investment Co, the sovereign wealth fund.

The issuance at this time will likely be assigned to all industries, including infrastructure, that could stimulate economic growth, and signals that China has indeed gone through the most difficult period and is embarking on a fresh journey of recovery, Dong said, noting that special treasury bonds can also be served as an "incremental tool" to help better stabilize growth.

At the local level, progress in fundraising is also being accelerated to shore up the economy. Local governments in China issued 439.9 billion yuan in new special-purpose bonds in October, up from 24.1 billion yuan in September and 51.6 billion yuan in August, latest MOF data showed.

In the first 10 months of 2022, these issues totaled 3.98 trillion yuan, which means the annual quota has been completed ahead of time.

On Tuesday, a key meeting attended by China's top leaders convened by the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee also called for lifting market confidence, strengthening policy coordination and optimizing coronavirus prevention and control measures, as part of the economic assessment and policymaking for 2023.

It was stressed at the meeting that the country will pay special attention to ensuring steady growth, employment and prices, forestall and defuse major risks effectively, and strive to achieve an overall improvement in the economic performance characterized by higher quality and reasonable growth.
 

chlosy

Junior Member
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Didnt gulf states just agree a day ago? Do you mean every other states that export oil but not yet signed yuan settlement?
I thought the announcement was that China would endeavor to use yuan as payment for oil and gas, but the gulf countries have yet to go along?
 

getready

Senior Member
I thought the announcement was that China would endeavor to use yuan as payment for oil and gas, but the gulf countries have yet to go along?
Yes same. I thought Xi mentioned it as a suggestion or possibility but no concrete answer yet from them.
From now until the Chinese New Year, more policies will be announced for boosting the economy.

Still See some people wearing mask in that.
 

Overbom

Brigadier
Registered Member
Didnt gulf states just agree a day ago? Do you mean every other states that export oil but not yet signed yuan settlement?
No they didn't as far as I am aware. In any case it doesnt make sense to agree now as China needs a lot of financial reforms before this happens. Just laying the RMB oil trade card on the table is significant by itself.

Their next summit in two years should have more deliverables on this matter as long as China makes some financial reforms to enable RMB oil trade
 

tonyget

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Trading Oil in Yuan, Would it Matter At All?​


What Would It Take for the Yuan to Dethrone the Dollar?
  1. China would have to float the yuan.
  2. End capital controls
  3. Respect property rights
  4. Have a bond market big enough (China has virtually no gov't bond market)
  5. Inspire global trust
  6. Be willing to have trade deficits
  7. Stop export mercantilism
  8. Have a currency market big enough
At a minimum, China flunks the first seven. Numbers 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 are serious show stoppers.

Yet, every year, these stories surface. China will back the yuan with gold, China will do set up a BRIC block, China will do this or that (while this and that circulate between gold and other nonsense).

Six and seven are essentially the same point.

For all the pissing and moaning about US dollar privileges, no other country really wants to stop their export mercantilism. The two biggest players are China and Germany. Japan was once a leader in that group and squandered it.

Consumer of Last Resort

Every country wants the US consumer to remain the consumer of last resort.

Even IF that changes (someone tell me when), there are 5 critical requirements a country must meet (#s 1, 2, 4, 6- 7, 8).

The Yuan Will Not Replace the US Dollar, Nor Will It Be Backed by Commodities

Pricing Unit Is Irrelevant


Meanwhile, I assure you oil trades for euros.

Regardless, the trading currency is meaningless. It's the holding currency that matters. Currencies are fungible. It makes no difference where a swap happens.

For example, it makes no difference if Europe sells euros for dollars to buy oil, or if Saudi takes euros and one second later converts them to dollars.

A swap for yuan does not work because the yuan does not float nor is there a big Chinese bond market to challenge US treasuries.
This oil in euros idea spawned endless silliness about oil for euros being the reason for the Gulf Wars.
 

ZeEa5KPul

Colonel
Registered Member
No they didn't as far as I am aware. In any case it doesnt make sense to agree now as China needs a lot of financial reforms before this happens. Just laying the RMB oil trade card on the table is significant by itself.

Their next summit in two years should have more deliverables on this matter as long as China makes some financial reforms to enable RMB oil trade
No, it makes perfect sense for Gulf states to sell oil on Chinese exchanges for RMB.
 
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