Economist Predicts Money Supply to Rise Sharply

飞雪寒冰

China's M2, the broadest measure of money supply, is expected to expand 25 percent this year, much higher than its 17 percent target, China International Capital Corp.'s chief economist said in a report on Aug. 27.

The growth rate will slow to 20 to 22 percent in 2010, Ha Jiming said.

The People's Bank of China said on Aug. 25 that the M2 growth target for 2009 was 17 percent.

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飞雪寒冰

M2, which covers cash in circulation and all deposits, rose 28.4 percent year-on-year to 57.3 trillion yuan at the end of July, according to the People's Bank of China. M2 expanded 17.8 percent in 2008 and 16.6 percent in 2007.

Total bank lending for the year will be about 10 trillion yuan, Ha said.

Banks issued 7.4 trillion yuan in new loans in the first half, three times the amount for the same period last year.

"The government will maintain its loose policies in the third quarter," Ha said.

The government is likely to make substantive adjustments to its economic policies in the fourth quarter, he said, without elaborating.