By the end of 2000, China's registered outstanding foreign debt was
US$145.73 billion (excluding that of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan),
decreasing US$6.1 billion or 4 percent from the previous year,
according to latest statistics released Monday by the State
Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE).
Of
the total, medium- and long-term debt accounted for US$132.65
billion, or US$4 billion less than the previous year; short-term
debt was US$13.08 billion, decreasing US$2.1 billion.
In
2000 China borrowed foreign debt of US$24.92 billion, and repayed
principal of US$29.11 billion. The difference in exchange rate and
adjustment was minus US$2.08 billion.
Of
the total, the amount of sovereign debt borrowed by ministries
under the State Council was US$48.96 billion, up 3.5 percent from
the previous year; the debt incurred by domestic financial
institutions was US$35.56 billion, down 13.1 percent; that by
foreign-invested enterprises was US$46.53 billion, down 1.6
percent; that by domestic enterprises was US$13.52 billion, down
8.1 percent; and other debt was US$1.16 billion, down 28.4
percent.
(21dnn.com 04/03/2001)