Banks
Economy
Shadow banking under fire: AVIC Trust’s collapse
Trust companies in China have become a major source of financing outside the banking system. AVIC Trust’s failure shows how weak oversight, high-risk lending and a slumping property market can bring even state-owned institutions down. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang tells us more.
Li Kang
05 Feb 2026
Economy
[Big read] How UOB’s Wee Ee Cheong masters the long game
UOB CEO Wee Ee Cheong reflects on family legacy, succession planning and banking strategy. From AI forecasts to nurturing talent at work and home, he shows that calm, steady leadership and patience often win the long game, observes Lianhe Zaobao business editor Shen Yue.
Shen Yue
18 Dec 2025
Economy
Why the RMB is not trying to topple the dollar
China is steadily increasing the global footprint of the RMB, quietly reshaping financial networks in ways that are strategic, incremental, and far more nuanced than a direct challenge to the dollar. Academic Hao Nan gives his analysis.
Hao Nan
13 Nov 2025
Economy
Inside China’s housing crisis: The shadow industry ‘saving’ homes from default
As mortgage defaults surge, a new “house retention” business promises Chinese homeowners a way to keep their properties — by buying back their own bad debts. But behind the quick fix lies a growing financial fault line in China’s real estate system. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Li Kang finds out more.
Li Kang
22 Oct 2025
Economy
The SCO development bank: China’s answer to Western financial hegemony?
China’s push for an SCO development bank aims to offer Eurasia a non-dollar, low-conditionality alternative to Western finance. But governance challenges, funding gaps and divergent interests may stall its ambition before it takes flight. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May discusses the issue.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
29 Sep 2025
Economy
How the RMB is taking over the dollar’s role in global trade
Despite years of slow progress, the RMB is now the world’s second largest trade finance currency and third largest payment currency, according to the People’s Bank of China. Officials say the current climate offers a rare opening to accelerate its rise — especially as countries and corporates seek alternatives to the “weaponised” dollar.
Caixin Global
12 Sep 2025
Economy
How stablecoins could revolutionise the future of money and the dollar
Stablecoins backed by government and private assets could transform global finance, challenging the dollar’s dominance and reshaping how money moves and is trusted worldwide, says Professor Pierpaolo Benigno at the University of Bern.
Pierpaolo Benigno
18 Aug 2025
Economy
[Big read] Stablecoins are reshaping global finance — Can China keep up?
With the US advancing stablecoin regulation, China is weighing its next move. The outcome could redefine the global monetary order — and the future role of the renminbi. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yush Chau talks to academics and experts about China’s options.
Yush Chau
14 Aug 2025
Economy
Why China’s banks are hunting for fortunes stashed abroad
In the past, Chinese banks and other financial institutions would write off the debts owed by failed companies and their wealthy founders who absconded overseas. Now, many financial institutions, faced with growing mountains of bad debt, are fighting to recover as much as they can, even if that means embarking on an international hunt for hidden assets.
Caixin Global
08 Aug 2025
Economy
Trump’s stablecoin embrace ups pressure on China to join race
As more countries and jurisdictions, including the European Union, Singapore and South Korea embrace stablecoins, these digital tokens, typically issued by private companies, not the state, are likely to play an increasingly significant and potentially pivotal role in international and domestic financial systems. Will China join the global stablecoin race?
Caixin Global
25 Jul 2025
Economy
China’s trillion-RMB personal debt hangover weighs on banking system
China’s personal lending market is under mounting pressure while banks across the country are scrambling. What began as a slow-burning concern in early 2024 has become an acute worry in 2025, as personal loans slip into delinquency at rates not seen since the 2008 financial crisis.
Caixin Global
16 May 2025