China's rise as a global economic superpower, the success of its top companies, and its continuing domestic boom is intricately tied to China Development Bank (CDB). This less-than-transparent institution, which is wholly owned by the Chinese government, has become the financial enabler of this nation's growth and is arguably the most powerful bank in the world.
While development banks have long existed to finance political projects, infrastructure, and other initiatives, nothing comes close to CDB in scope.
In China's Superbank, authors Henry Sanderson and Michael Forsythe—both Bloomberg journalists working in Beijing—combine on-the-scene reporting and interviews from across the world with numbers crunched from Chinese bond prospectuses to put CDB in perspective, and help you understand the economic phenomenon that is China.
Along the way, you'll not only become familiar with the growing accomplishments and influence of CDB, but you'll also gain valuable insights into the darker side of this political-financial institution—one that has never had to answer to anyone apart from its state shareholders. You'll also discover how China's seemingly unstoppable banking system could potentially be saddled with bad debt from trillions of yuan invested in projects with questionable economic value both at home and abroad.
Throughout the book, the authors:
Explore CDB's hallmark innovation—the system of local government finance—which has transformed China's landscape in just over a decade by pumping trillions of yuan into various domestic projects
Profile Chen Yuan, the Chairman of CDB since 1998, and discuss how he's been instrumental in reasserting the Communist Party in China's economy, while managing to preserve enough independence from the government to make decent investment decisions and function as a commercially driven institution
Analyze CDB's China-Africa Development Fund—China's largest private equity fund investing in Africa—and its attempts to stimulate manufacturing in Ethiopia, and CDB's lending to Ghana
Address CDB's work to secure a steady flow of oil and gas to China through loans-for-energy deals around the world, particularly to Venezuela
Examine CDB's lines of credit that have helped new Chinese firms in telecom and alternative energy win significant global projects, as well as how the bank is developing a new form of private equity financing through CDB Capital.
As China's influence continues to grow around the world, many people are asking how far it will extend. China's Superbank addresses this vital question, looking at the institution at the heart of its growth.
Praise for China's Superbank
"The phenomenal economic rise of China and its growing global role have been driven by a unique mix of political and economic actors. China Development Bank has been at the center of much of this growth especially as the principal banker in China's overseas commodity investments. Henry and Michael's timely book, China's Superbank, details for the first time the role that CDB has played under the focused leadership of its Chairman Chen Yuan. This book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand how China funds its growth but it also raises important questions as to whether CDB's strategy will be sustainable over the long term."
—Fraser Howie, Managing Director, CLSA Singapore and co-author of Red Capitalism
"Combining in-depth knowledge of China with hard-nosed economic analysis and first-rate journalism, Sanderson and Forsythe have written an astonishingly detailed yet lively portrait of China's muscular state capitalism. This important work tells us in concrete terms how China is expanding its influence around the world, not through military force, but through writing checks. This is a must-read for all those who take an interest in China's rising influence in the world—and its increasingly vulnerable financial system."
—Victor Shih, Associate Professor, Northwestern University
"In China's Superbank Henry and Michael shed a much-needed light on the operations and people behind China Development Bank, an apparent policy bank that in a brief decade has in many ways surpassed the power and functions of the country's Ministry of Finance. The tale of how this formerly moribund institution ignited China's local debt crisis while financing China's foreign policy initiatives is a must for anyone seeking to understand China's opaque financial system."
—Carl Walter, former COO of JP Morgan China, independent consultant and co-author of Red Capitalism
"American Cabinet members say the global reach and growth of China Development Bank keeps them up at night. After reading this book, they might not go to sleep at all. For all the tsunami of news about China's rise in recent years, the country's political and financial institutions remain vastly undereported and little understood. Mike Forsythe and Henry Sanderson's book helps correct that with remarkable detail and insights about the bank that laid the financial foundations for China's economic miracle at home, before then finding a formula to spread its money abroad."
—Richard McGregor, Financial Times reporter and author of The Party
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xix
Chapter 1 Let 10,000 Projects Bloom 1
The Wuhu Model 4
The Chongqing Model 9
Global Financial Crisis 12
A Town Called Loudi 15
Li's Story 18
"Manhattan" in China 22
Credit Risk in a One-Party State 26
Cracks in the System 29
Chapter 2 Turning a Zombie Bank into a Global Bank 39
A Life in the Party 41
The Princeling Party: The Beginning of State Capitalism 50
Taking Over a Basket Case 55
Transforming CDB from an ATM Machine 58
Developing a Slogan 62
Beating the Commercial Banks 64
Gao Jian: Creating a Market for "Risk-Free" Bonds 68
The West Self-Destructs: The Financial Crisis 72
Moving Beyond Wall Street 75
Chapter 3 Nothing to Lose but Our Chains: China Development Bank in Africa 85
Made in Ethiopia 90
Ethiopia's Zone: Exporting to the West 94
China-Africa Development Fund: The State's Private Equity Arm 96
Rising Role of China in Africa 101
Fixed Capital: Western-Style Lending 105
African Tiger: Can Ghana Escape the Resource Curse? 108
Fresh Capital 116
Chapter 4 Risk versus Reward: China Development Bank in Venezuela 123
Default in Bolívar's Country 125
China's Venezuelan Adventure 126
Loans for Oil 132
Cars, Housing, and Gold: Good Business for China 136
Ecuador 139
Russia 140
China in the Backyard of the United States 141
Chapter 5 Funding the New Economy 147
Obama's Dream 151
Default-Free Bond Market 153
Financing China's Global Company: Huawei 157
The Final Frontier: Private Equity 163
Acting as a Gatekeeper 167
Imprint of the State 169
Chapter 6 The Future 175
About the Authors 181
Index 183
《上瘾的秘密》内容简介:美国脑科学专家和营销大师联手揭示,我们是怎样被潜移默化的营销套路的。☆有些联想,似乎很自然,其实是
《论中国经济的发展》内容简介:在后疫情时代,新形势下如何发展?财政政策、产业政策应如何变动?各地区可如何借助新结构经济学理
《企业财务要点与税务实操》内容简介:本书是一本企业财税人员的工具书,旨在方便财税人员遇到相关问题时能即学即用。由于财税人员
论个人财产 本书特色 《论个人财产》:中国**部研究具人财产的专著,经济学博士的传世杰作,著名经济学家联合推荐。论个人财产 目录 原版序言**章 个人财产的概念...
《鲁迅杂文集(2021版)》内容简介:杂文在鲁迅的全部创作中占据着极其重要的位置,具有很高的文学价值。鲁迅以极富创造精神的杂文
《经济法(第3版)》内容简介:本教材包括经济法概述、企业法、公司法、合同法、市场规则法律制度、工业产权法律制度、金融法、税法
黄伟芳,知名财经作家,润商文化签约作家,长期致力于企业家传记、个人品牌塑造等方面的研究,善于将企业家放在历史大背景中加以探索,从管理学角度解析企业家的成长历程,...
《真故·女性叙事》内容简介:一次全新的阅读体验,一本女性成长白皮书,一幅当代女性图鉴。遇到超强掌控欲的父母如何扳回主动权?
国民经济.国民经济学及其方法 本书特色 《国民经济、国民经济学及其方法》是德国新历史学派经济学领袖古斯塔夫·冯·施穆勒的重要著作之一...
《让心淡然(珍藏版)》内容简介:无论是浩瀚的大洋、无际的天宇、变幻的冰川,还是活跃的企鹅、日月同辉的天空、深不见底的海,足
《宋人总集叙录(增订本)》内容简介:本书针对现存的以及散佚的宋人编刻之宋人总集,在对大量资料进行认真整理和深入研究的基础上
《对冲基金经理笔记:来自伦敦金融城深处的报道》对冲基金于20世纪50年代兴起于美国,最初只有少数人参与,后来迅速发展成为一个规
《商业冒险》内容简介:冒险是商业精神的核心,安于现状注定被淘汰,只有冒险家才能生存。一次莫名其妙的股市崩盘,一款赔了3.5亿美
《王心斋家训译注》内容简介:本书共十四章,条理分明,内容详尽,说理透彻,践行亲切,广泛涉及良知、日用、学乐、格物、安身、造
《塑造现代经济的100大发明(下)》内容简介:这是一套充满故事感的经济学普及读物。在这套书里,作者选取了我们生活中司空见惯,却
历史唯物论与马克思主义经济学 本书特色 本书主要内容包括:生产方式的结构与生产关系的两重功能、科恩对生产力一元决定论的辩护:一个批判的考察、有机生产方式的变迁及...
《国富论》内容简介:《国富论》与中国素有不解之缘,曾涌现了各种形式和篇幅的中译本。章莉女士的这个节选本是一种新的尝试,从篇
本书是著名中国经济问题专家巴里·诺顿对当代中国经济的综合性论述,覆盖面之广、研究之透辟,其他同类英语论著罕有其匹。诺顿纵论1949年以来的中国经济,基于多年的研...
《中华复兴管窥(英语)》内容简介:《中华复兴管窥》共收作者所撰写的40篇英语文章,其中包括“构想中美关系的勇气之光”,“‘一
《一条狗的使命:只想陪在你身边》内容简介:原著改编电影《一条狗的回家路》2019温暖上映。你的爱,是我回家的方向! 我会沿着那个