China's Pseudo-monetary Policy

China's Pseudo-monetary Policy

Yongheng Deng, Randall Morck, Jing Wu, Bernard Yeung

Series number :

Serial Number: 
369/2013

Date posted :

May 01 2013

Last revised :

August 01 2013
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Keywords

China?s monetary stimulation boosted real GDP growth from an annualized 6.2% in the first quarter of 2009 to 11.9% in the first quarter of 2010. Amidst this phenomenal response, land auction and house prices in major cities soared. We argue that the speed and efficacy of China?s monetary policy derives from state control over its banking system and corporate sector.

Beijing ordered state-owned banks to lend, and they lent. Beijing ordered centrally-controlled state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to invest, and they invested. Our data show that much of this investment was highly leveraged purchases of real estate. Quality adjusted residential land auction prices in eight major cities roughly doubled in 2009; and rapid price rises occur where these SOEs are more active buyers. This episode mimics the credit channel for monetary policy, but actually entails internal transfers between arms of the government putting upward pressure on real estate prices.

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Published in

Published in: 
Publication Title: 
Review of Finance
Description: 
2015, vol. 19, issue 1, 55-93

Authors

Real name:
Yongheng Deng
Real name:
Jing Wu