BEIJING: True, China’s economic system is riddled with many of the problems that trouble its neighbors – countless bad loans by state banks, government manipulation of financial markets, real estate bubbles. Some of these may be even more serious in China than elsewhere. Yet, so far, China seems immunized from the fate of its neighbors.
Why? One reason is that China’s financial markets are mostly closed: investment by foreigners in Chinese securities, for example, is limited to B class shares. In addition, China’s currency is not convertible on capital accounts; only a few foreign banks are allowed to operate, and only in certain regions; and no foreign off-shore banks operate in China. Portfolio investment, which was among the first types of funds to flee Asia, claims only a small share of the $320 billion of the foreign capital that has flowed into China.
Moreover, most investments are in manufacturing. Less than 10% of the capital that has flowed into China is in short-term borrowings of the sort that bedeviled Korea. Of China’s $116 billion in foreign debt, indeed, less that 10% is short term. Of course, by limiting foreign access China excluded itself from the full benefits of international capital flows in recent years. But these restrictions also made China less vulnerable to international speculation – at least for now.
BEIJING: True, China’s economic system is riddled with many of the problems that trouble its neighbors – countless bad loans by state banks, government manipulation of financial markets, real estate bubbles. Some of these may be even more serious in China than elsewhere. Yet, so far, China seems immunized from the fate of its neighbors.
Why? One reason is that China’s financial markets are mostly closed: investment by foreigners in Chinese securities, for example, is limited to B class shares. In addition, China’s currency is not convertible on capital accounts; only a few foreign banks are allowed to operate, and only in certain regions; and no foreign off-shore banks operate in China. Portfolio investment, which was among the first types of funds to flee Asia, claims only a small share of the $320 billion of the foreign capital that has flowed into China.
Moreover, most investments are in manufacturing. Less than 10% of the capital that has flowed into China is in short-term borrowings of the sort that bedeviled Korea. Of China’s $116 billion in foreign debt, indeed, less that 10% is short term. Of course, by limiting foreign access China excluded itself from the full benefits of international capital flows in recent years. But these restrictions also made China less vulnerable to international speculation – at least for now.