Chinese bad loans up to USD103.6b in Q1

(MENAFN) Official data showed that China's bad loans jumped strongly in the January-March period of 2014, scoring its highest in around three years, The Peninsula Qatar reported. According to the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC), outstanding non-performing loans at Chinese banks reached USD103.6 billion in March, increasing USD8.77 billion from the beginning of the year. The first-quarter period marked the 10th consecutive quarter that outstanding bad loans rose, while the quarterly increase was more than double the average of recent quarters. "The increase in bad loans mainly came from small companies and some industries with overcapacity," Bank of Communications economists said.