Economic transformation in China: the role of bank credit

Abstract

China’s economic growth represents one of the most remarkable phenomena in the contemporary world economy. The bank credit system has played a fundamental role, acting as a force to sustain growth and guiding the transformation of the economy. The purpose of this paper is to address some of the characteristics of the bank credit system in China, seeking to highlight strategies and initiatives, as well as policies and rules derived from them, which have led to the credit guidance. To this end, the document is organized into five sections, including this introduction and final considerations. In the second section, a characterization of the banking credit system in four phases is presented, highlighting, in each of them, policy elements, actors, and privileged segments, as well as transformations. In section 3, a description of the behavior of credit is given, showing the movement of credit both in general and of credit for companies and families. Section 4 deals with the process of reconfiguring credit and seeks to point out the changes in the targets of concessions since the establishment of the new normal concept. Finally, concluding remarks are made.

JEL: E51, F00, G21, P34.

Keywords:
Bank credit; Chinese financial system; Economic development