How the CCP Hides Its Debt: Beijing Says Hidden Local Debt Is Shrinking, IMF Says LGFV Debt Hit $10.5 Trillion
Xi Jinping sweeps debt under the carpet in this editorial cartoon. Beijing reports a decline in hidden local debt, while the IMF’s broader measure of local government financing debt rose about 14 percent from 2023 to 2025. Beijing says its narrower measure of hidden local debt fell, while the IMF estimates that debt owed by the companies Chinese cities use to borrow rose about 14