China.org.cn | October 18, 2024
Yicai:
At the beginning of this year, we saw the establishment of a new coordination mechanism for urban real estate financing. Could you provide an update on its latest progress and outcomes? What are the next steps and new measures being considered? Thank you.
Li Yunze:
Thank you for your question. Mr. Pan has already provided a comprehensive answer regarding this year's financial policies related to the real estate sector. The stable and healthy development of the real estate market is crucial for overall economic and financial performance, as well as the immediate interests of the people. In recent years, significant changes have occurred in the supply and demand dynamics of our real estate market. The continued slowdown in sales has led to tight liquidity for property companies, making it difficult for some sold, under-construction projects to be delivered on schedule. To address this issue, the NFRA has collaborated with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to establish a coordination mechanism for urban real estate financing. The key feature of this mechanism is its "city-focused and project-centric" approach, distinguishing risks associated with real estate company groups from those of individual projects. By leveraging the coordinating role of local governments, it places compliant, under-construction, sold projects on a "white list," guiding financial institutions to meet reasonable financing needs of these projects. This facilitates project completion and delivery, effectively safeguarding homebuyers' lawful rights and interests.
With joint efforts from all parties, the coordination mechanism has achieved positive results. To date, commercial banks have approved over 5,700 projects on the "white list," with approved financing reaching 1.43 trillion yuan, supporting the timely delivery of more than 4 million housing units. Driven by this mechanism, financial institutions are continuously expanding their support for the real estate industry. As of late August, we've seen positive growth in real estate development loans compared to the year's start, reversing the downward trend. Loans for real estate mergers and acquisitions and housing rental loans have increased by 14% and 18%, respectively, providing strong financial support for stable and healthy real estate market development.
Additionally, to actively support essential housing needs and demand for better housing, as Mr. Pan mentioned, we've worked with the PBC to guide local governments and financial institutions in adjusting relevant real estate financial policies based on local conditions. Moving forward, we'll collaborate with the PBC to promote a gradual reduction in existing housing loan interest rates, further decreasing residents' mortgage payments and enhancing their sense of financial well-being.
Next, we will resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on real estate work. We'll further promote the effective implementation of the coordination mechanism for urban real estate financing to ensure we whitelist all eligible projects, grant all eligible loans, and fund all eligible companies. We are determined to overcome obstacles in housing delivery and promote the stable and healthy development of the real estate market.
Thank you.