CBIRC steps up regulation of commercial banks’ off-balance sheet activities

Financial institutions’ off-balance sheet activities have long been a concern for China’s regulators and policymakers, who have been on a mission to rein in shadow banking and defuse financial risks since 2017 when a major crackdown began after a string of corporate scandals. Poorly regulated and opaque off-balance sheet activities tend to be more risky than on-balance sheet lending and could pose a systemic risk to the financial system.