March 2, 2012

China acts to crank up credit as lending, economy slow

China acts to crank up credit as lending, economy slow

Chinese one yuan coins are placed on 100 yuan banknotes in this illustrative photograph taken in BeijingSHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s central bank cut the amount of cash banks must hold in reserves on Saturday, boosting lending capacity by an estimated 350-400 billion yuan ($55.6-$63.5 billion) in a bid to crank up credit creation as the world’s second-biggest economy faces a fifth successive quarter of slowing growth. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is on the course of gentle policy easing to cushion the world’s fastest-growing major economy against stiff global headwinds as Europe’s debt crisis grinds on, although it has been treading warily. …