MNI China Press Digest, April 10: NPL, Infrastructure, Deposit

     BEIJING (MNI) - The following lists highlights from China press reports on

Wednesday:

     Some local banking regulators are pushing large banks to tighten the

recognition of NPLs from the current 90 days to just 60 days, China Securities

Journal reported on today. Regulators are looking to improve banks' asset

quality, but the move would pressure bank profitability in the short-term as

they are likely to increase their reserves, Everbright Securities chief banking

analysts Wang Yifeng said, the paper reported.

     Infrastructure investment growth is expected to rebound to around 10 to 15%

this year, said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at credit-rating agency

Dongfang Jincheng, the Securities Daily reports. This could add one percentage

point to GDP growth, 0.2 percentage point more than in 2018, the Wang said.

     Banks are paying higher rates on deposit accounts to help pull in funds

from the public, the Economic Daily said in a commentary piece today.

Individuals will benefit, but bank operating costs will rise, with medium and

small banks in particular under pressure, the paper said.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: wanxia.lin@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$Q$$$,MI$$$$]