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China's weak banking system threatens economic growth, reforms: experts by P. Parameswaran Tue Aug 22, 5:48 PM ET Saddled with bad loans, China's critically weak banking system risks stifling its rapid economic growth and reform process, Standard and Poor's pointman for Asia-Pacific ratings warned. Michael Petit, the global ratings agency's managing director of Asia-Pacific corporate and government ratings, said "the most visible weakness" of China's banking system was the extent of its problem loans, which the agency estimated at 500-650 billion dollars at the end of 2005. In contrast, China's official figure is about half the agency's estimate at 225...

China's property market not in the pink of health Greedy developers and low interest rates push up supply of residential and office space, but where are the buyers? ZHONGSHAN - China has a serious problem these days, and its colour is pink. Pink and similar hues - from rose-tinged brick to tangerine and even magenta - have been popular in the past few years with Chinese developers, who are also partial to tinted, highly reflective glass and rooftops in the shape of lotus blossoms. Advertisement The result is an extraordinary number of garish apartment buildings, office buildings, industrial parks and...

China ‘at the Edge’ of Financial Crisis: Central Bank Governor Radio Free Asia Aug 17, 2004 A pedestrian walks past the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong, 03 August 2004. China’s central bank governor has warned that the country is “at the edge” of a financial crisis as bad debt levels continue to rise. (SAMANTHA SIN/AFP/Getty Images) HONG KONG -- China’s central bank governor has warned that the country is “at the edge” of a financial crisis as bad debt levels continue to rise. Speaking at a financial conference last month in Shanghai, People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou...