2013-04-16 10:05:26 +02:00

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8225044
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# China raises interest rates on Christmas Day
## China raised interest rates for a second time in three months on Christmas
Day in an attempt to curb borrowing, rein in property prices and tame
inflation.
![China raises interest rates on Christmas Day][1]
Analysts expect more interest rate rises next year as the government steps up
efforts to calm growing consumer anxiety about rising costs. Photo: AFP/Getty
AFP 5:21PM GMT 25 Dec 2010
[Comments][2]
The People's Bank of China said in a brief one-line statement that it will
raise the one-year lending and deposit rates by 25 basis points each. The move
takes the rates to 5.81pc and 2.75pc respectively from Sunday.
Expectations of a rate rise have weighed on investor sentiment this month and
could hit stock markets next week.
In October, policymakers raised rates for the first time in nearly three years
as they resort to stronger measures to try to slow a flood of liquidity which
has been fanning inflation and driving up property prices.
Analysts said the latest interest rate rise would be followed by more next
year as stability-obsessed leaders step up efforts to calm growing consumer
anxiety about rising costs.
"The choice of Christmas Day is a little surprising but I think the market
generally expected interest rates to rise," Ken Peng, a Beijing-based
economist for Citigroup, told AFP.
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"The central bank needed to do this to win credibility to fight inflation."
Ever fearful of inflation's potential to spark unrest, authorities have been
pulling on a number of policy levers to rein in consumer prices and cool the
red-hot real estate market.
Earlier this month, the central bank ordered lenders for the sixth time this
year to keep more money in reserve, effectively limiting the amount of funds
they can lend.
Despite these measures, bank lending has remained stubbornly high and property
prices have continued to rise, frustrating first-home buyers who feel
apartment prices are out of their reach.
Property prices in 70 major cities recorded their third straight month-on-
month rise in November, defying Beijing's attempts to cool the red-hot market
by hiking minimum downpayments and ordering banks not to provide loans for
third home purchases.
Prices were up 0.3pc last month from October and 7.7pc higher than a year ago.
The value of new loans issued by China's banks fell in November from October
but was still well above forecasts as Beijing struggled to stem the flood of
liquidity.
Adding to the Beijing's headaches, the consumer price index, a key measure of
inflation, topped 5pc in November for the first time in more than two years as
food costs soared nearly 12pc year-on-year.
Further interest rate increases had been expected after top leaders pledged
earlier this month that China would move from a "relatively loose" monetary
policy to a "prudent" one next year.
"We expect two to three rate hikes in the first half of 2011," said Wang Qing,
a Hong Kong-based economist for Morgan Stanley.
The central bank said Friday it would use a variety of tools including
interest rate hikes and tighter lending restrictions over the next 12 months
to curb inflation and prevent an asset price bubble, according to comments by
vice governor Hu Xiaolian posted on the bank's website.
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