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Requiem for the interest rate controls in China

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  • Rongrong Sun

Abstract

This paper reviewed the retail interest rate control deregulation in China over the period 1993–2015 to provide a preliminary assessment of the People's Bank of China's (PBC's) new operating framework. The interest rate controls triggered the development of deposit substitutes that banks used to circumvent the restrictions, which, in turn, drove deposits out of commercial banks. This gave rise to concerns about a deterioration of bank profits and a build‐up of financial fragility, which have pushed up the PBC's deregulation acceleration over the post‐2012 period. This study quantified the distortionary effects of these controls: disintermediation, a rising shadow banking system, and financial repression. Despite the official lifting of controls, retail interest rates are still subject to the PBC's window guidance and other pricing mechanism guidance. The preliminary assessment of the new interest rate corridor system is encouraging: Its bounds are effective most of the time.

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  • Rongrong Sun, 2021. "Requiem for the interest rate controls in China," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 139-160, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:pacecr:v:26:y:2021:i:2:p:139-160
    DOI: 10.1111/1468-0106.12341
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    Cited by:

    1. Sun, Rongrong, 2020. "Monetary policy announcements and market interest rates’ response: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    2. Klingelhöfer, Jan & Sun, Rongrong, 2019. "Macroprudential policy, central banks and financial stability: Evidence from China," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 19-41.

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    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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