China looks to be on shaky financial footing due to its booming private debt load.
Japan claims the title of “most indebted nation” when both public and private debt are accounted for. But China is by far the world’s liability leader when we look only at corporate and household debt:
Source: Thomson Reuters
The ascent started in 2008 when the Chinese government embarked on a massive fiscal stimulus effort. Rather than direct allocation by the government, loans went through China’s state banking system, which let excess capital bleed into private markets.
China has so far avoided a hard landing. However, a severe shock to the global economy could spark a credit crunch and leave private Chinese companies in a tough spot.
