Auditor: China Local Authority Debt ‘Out of Control’

A senior Chinese auditor has warned that local government debt is “out of control” and could spark a bigger financial crisis than the U.S. housing market crash.

Zhang Ke said his accounting firm, ShineWing, had all but stopped signing off on bond sales by local governments as a result of his concerns.

“We audited some local government bond issues and found them very dangerous, so we pulled out,” said Mr. Zhang, who is also vice-chairman of China’s accounting association. “Most don’t have strong debt servicing abilities. Things could become very serious.”

CNBC

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