Free Republic

Trading in shares of debt-laden China Evergrande was suspended on Monday after it missed a key bond interest payment last week, its second offshore debt obligation in a week, with market watchers jittery as the group’s troubles unravel. Shares of its unit Evergrande Property Services Group were also suspended, according to the Hong Kong stock exchange. With liabilities equal to 2% of China’s GDP, Evergrande has sparked concerns its woes could spread through the financial system and reverberate around the world, though worries have eased somewhat after the central bank vowed to protect homebuyers’ interests.