Bank reserve ratio up to curb liquidity

    BEIJING, April 30 -- China's central bank yesterday ordered commercial banks to hold more funds in reserve to help mop up excess liquidity.

    The People's Bank of China raised the reserve requirement ratio for banks by a 0.5 percentage point yesterday the fourth this year and the second this month.

    The move, which raised the ratio to 11 percent for big lenders, will take effect on May 15, the central bank announced on its website.  Full story

Interest rate up to check lending rise

    BEIJING, March 19 -- The central bank Sunday raised the interest rate for the third time in less than a year to check surging loan growth.

    The rise, announced on Saturday, led to 27-basis-point increase in both one-year deposit and lending rates. The benchmark one-year deposit rate now stands at 2.79 percent and the one-year lending rate at 6.39 percent. Full story

Report: interest rate hike likely as bank lending rebounds

    BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- An interest rate hike is on the cards in China to curb excessive liquidity as bank lending rebounded in February.

    "The rapid growth in bank loans and M1 supply raise the possibility of raising interest rates by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) around April," according to an analytical report in the China Securities News.  Full story