Local Government Debt and Municipal Bonds in China: Problems and a Framework of Rules

Abstract

Local governments in China are facing heavy debt burdens, a low level of fiscal transparency and a lack of constraints by local democracy. Since 2008, local government debts have skyrocketed. This article analyses the current state and features of local government debts and the two kinds of 'quasi municipal bonds' in China—urban investment bonds and local government bonds—along with their problems and risks. It examines the risks connected with local government debts and these bonds from the perspectives of public finance and political economy. It concludes with a discussion of a framework of rules for local government debt financing, especially for the issuance of municipal bonds in China.