China’s appetite for US Treasuries wanes
China has bought more than $1 trillion of American debt, but as the global downturn has intensified, Beijing is starting to keep more of its money at home, a move that could have painful effects for American borrowers.
In the last five years, China has spent as much as one-seventh of its entire economic output buying foreign debt, mostly American. In September, it surpassed Japan as the largest overseas holder of Treasuries.
But now Beijing is seeking to pay for its own $600 billion stimulus — just as tax revenue is falling sharply as the Chinese economy slows. Regulators have ordered banks to lend more money to small and medium-size enterprises, many of which are struggling with lower exports, and to local governments to build new roads and other projects.
“All the key drivers of China’s Treasury purchases are disappearing — there’s a waning appetite for dollars and a waning appetite for Treasuries, and that complicates the outlook for interest rates,” said Ben Simpfendorfer, an economist in the Hong Kong office of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
My comment: Game over Tilt. Without foreign buying of Treasuries all the government has left is the printing press. Hopefully readers of this blog have protected themselves against the inflation that is assured to come as the government tries to "fix the economy" with Keynseian solutions which are doomed to failure. Yes indeed change is coming most likely like this or this.
John Polomny
The Real Deal
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Comment by HalP on 20 January 2009:
Hi, John. This kind of news should give some shakes to us in America. I like your comment, “Game over Tilt.” Doesn’t bode will for us or the world for that matter when considered how many economies are suffering.
I’ve been thinking that in about six months the dollar and bond markets would implode but I am starting to wonder if it won’t be coming on a lot more soon. I do find it interesting to see that the stock market turned down at open on Inauguration Day, but looking I see with the precious metals widget I use, ExactPrice, that gold and silver have broken from tracking with the stocks and are up.
I saw yesterday where Merrill Lynch said a lot of rich investors were turning to gold bars for investment over ETFs to protect themselves.
Sure has me wondering what is coming and I can’t help but wonder if we aren’t headed for another depression.