China inflated its credit bubble, again - Victor Shih

Victor Shih

In its fight against an economic slowdown, China has opened the bank vaults again and pumped more credit into its financial systems, again, says political analyst Victor Shih, author of Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation to the New York Times. It is an old solution in a country where debts are already at dangerous levels, he says.

The New York Times:

In the early years of China’s boom, companies and local governments could borrow liberally knowing that accelerating growth could help ensure that their gambles paid off. Now that the country’s economy is huge and maturing, it has become increasingly difficult for China to simply grow its way out of its debt.

“China already is in the midst of the largest credit bubble the world has ever seen,” said Victor Shih, an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego. And, Professor Shih added, the Chinese government has not been able to wean itself off its debt habit.

“The government simply cannot afford to think about the medium term and must focus on short-term continuation of the credit bubble,” he said.

The latest round of government-driven financial largess was remarkable in size and scale, economists said.

More at the New York Times.

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