China’s central bank said it would increase funding support for the private sector after meeting with company executives from the property industry, identifying several businesses by name in a statement that underscores growing urgency among regulators to boost market confidence.
Newly appointed People’s Bank of China governor Pan Gongsheng met with representatives from eight private firms, including developers Longfor Group Holdings Ltd., CIFI Holdings Group Co. and Midea Real Estate Holding Ltd. to hear about their difficulties and corporate financing needs, the PBOC said in a statement on Thursday.
The central bank will expand a support tool for private companies’ bond issuance and meet the reasonable financing needs of developers to foster the healthy development of the housing market, Pan said. Last year, China’s financial regulators widened a bond financing program to about 250 billion yuan ($34.9 billion) for private companies including developers. The PBOC didn’t provide details on what the latest changes would entail.
It’s the latest in a series of attempts by regulators across China’s government to shore up the private sector as the country’s economic recovery sputters and stress in some corners of the bond market increases. While supportive statements like the PBOC’s have helped buoy markets somewhat, skepticism remains elevated among investors and company executives burned by years of unpredictable policy shifts.
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Officials from the PBOC and National Development and Reform Commission will be speaking at a briefing about driving high-quality development with macro policies at 10 a.m. on Friday, according to an NDRC statement on its WeChat account.
Sentiment in China’s property sector has been particularly fragile, with bonds of real estate companies including Country Garden Holdings Co., Dalian Wanda Group and Sino-Ocean Group Holding Ltd. coming under pressure in recent weeks. The three companies weren’t among those mentioned by the PBOC.
China’s home sales dropped the most in a year in July, pressuring the government to do more to support the property market, a key component of the world’s second-largest economy.
China’s top housing official, Ni Hong, called for stronger efforts to revive the ailing sector last month. China plans to scrap restrictions on household registration in cities with urban populations of less than 3 million in an effort to boost economic development, the state-owned Global Times reported, citing Ministry of Public Security official Qi Xiguo at briefing on Thursday. Such a move would likely provide support for local housing markets.
A pro-growth tone signaled last week by the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo — a 24-member policymaking body led by President Xi Jinping — has lifted market sentiment in recent days.
But the outlook remains fragile, with the impact of recent announcements of support yet to be realized and fresh data this week pointing to slumping manufacturing activity and home sales.
Yili Group, China Hongqiao Group, Chint Group, New Hope Group and Hongdou Group also attended the PBOC meeting, the central bank said.
--With assistance from Phila Siu and Yujing Liu.