Dr. Albert Keidel
China's Financial Sector: Contributions to Growth and Downside Risks
Source: Conference Paper

Any evaluation of China’s financial system and its prospects must concentrate on its contribution to China’s economic growth and to related solutions to a range of domestic economic goals. The evolution of China’s financial system, in all its various dimensions, is in midstream, with its many market and non-market aspects reforming simultaneously. Its hybrid nature, which combines policy-directed lending and nascent market-based institutions, has aspects considered by some foreign observers to be not only unconventional but also inefficient. In fact, the system appears to serve China’s current needs well.
[1] James R. Barth, John A. Tatom, and Glenn Yago (eds.), China’s Emerging Financial Markets: Challenges and Opportunities (Santa Monica, CA: Milken Institute, 2009)
About the Author
Former Senior Associate, China Program
Keidel served as acting director and deputy director for the Office of East Asian Nations at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Before joining Treasury in 2001, he covered economic trends, system reforms, poverty, and country risk as a senior economist in the World Bank office in Beijing.
- As China's Exports Drop, Can Domestic Demand Drive Growth?Article
- China’s Fourth Quarter 2008 Statistical RecordArticle
Dr. Albert Keidel
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Resetting Cyber Relations with the United StatesArticle
For years, the United States anchored global cyber diplomacy. As Washington rethinks its leadership role, the launch of the UN’s Cyber Global Mechanism may test how allies adjust their engagement.
Patryk Pawlak, Chris Painter
- China’s AI-Empowered Censorship: Strengths and LimitationsArticle
Censorship in China spans the public and private domains and is now enabled by powerful AI systems.
Nathan Law
- Why Are China and Russia Not Rushing to Help Iran?Commentary
Most of Moscow’s military resources are tied up in Ukraine, while Beijing’s foreign policy prioritizes economic ties and avoids direct conflict.
Alexander Gabuev, Temur Umarov
- How Trump’s Wars Are Boosting Russian Oil ExportsCommentary
The interventions in Iran and Venezuela are in keeping with Trump’s strategy of containing China, but also strengthen Russia’s position.
Mikhail Korostikov
- Beijing Doesn’t Think Like Washington—and the Iran Conflict Shows WhyCommentary
Arguing that Chinese policy is hung on alliances—with imputations of obligation—misses the point.
Evan A. Feigenbaum