China's effort to cut $10tn of 'hidden debt' faces uphill climb

Despite gains in some provinces, few resources on hand for local governments

20230523 Caixin top

The Ministry of Finance, pictured, launched a comprehensive survey of local governments' off-the-books borrowing.

YU HAIRONG, CHENG SIWEI, ZHANG YUZHE and HAN WEI, Caixin

As China's economic growth gets back on track after three years of the pandemic, efforts to tackle the mountain of so-called hidden debt accumulated by local governments have reemerged as a priority on the agendas of top policymakers.

Fresh concerns have mounted that weakening income growth and rising spending over the past few years may force local authorities to resort to new off-the-book borrowing, while limiting their ability to pay down the debt. These liabilities are estimated by some to be almost $10 trillion, roughly double the gross domestic product of Japan, the world's third-largest economy.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.