China is highly unlikely to see a mid-year liquidity crisis this year, and there will be no repeat of the "unusual market fluctuations" seen in June 2013, a central bank-affiliated newspaper said.
In an editorial published Saturday, Financial News, under the People's Bank of China (PBOC), dismissed fears of the reoccurring of a mid-year liquidity crunch in the wake of increases to deposit rates at a few banks.
As China's monetary policy is currently "neither too tight nor too loose," the overall liquidity condition in the banking sector is good, it said.
A credit crunch at Chinese banks in June 2013 caused interbank interest rates to surge by double digits and pounded the market, sparking concern among investors.
Only a few banks have increased deposit rates and they do not represent the whole picture, the newspaper said, noting that China's major lenders were stable with healthy debt structures.
Meanwhile, it's normal for commercial banks to adjust deposit rates and the yield rates of certain financial products, it added.
It also addressed fears over capital outflow due to the possible U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike this month, the central bank's macro prudential assessment (MPA) on commercial banks, and continued financial tightening and deleveraging will add pressure to market liquidity.
The authorities have already made moves ahead of the expected Fed rate increase, while the MPA, a formal evaluation covering loans and other assets, together with the ongoing financial scrutiny, will actually help stem financial risk, said the newspaper.
Financial institutions and market players should remain rational toward mid-year liquidity conditions by staying vigilant while avoiding panic and chaos. "There is no need to exaggerate the liquidity risk," it said.
The PBOC injected 498 billion yuan (73.3 billion U.S. dollars) into the financial system via medium-term lending facility (MLF) on Tuesday, which is described by the newspaper as "a clear signal" of keeping liquidity "basically stable" by providing medium- and long-term funds.
It struck a confident tone that the central bank will make similar moves "at any time" based on market conditions to keep market liquidity at a level that is "neither too tight nor too loose."
