Over the past five years the state has cracked down on shadow-banking assets, which are not accounted for on lenders’ balance-sheets and include a dizzying array of financial products. As a result, the stock of these assets has fallen by 15% since 2017, but still amounts to an astonishing 56trn yuan ($8trn), or a seventh of all banking-system assets. China’s property crack-up causes problems elsewhere, Xi Jinping is now promises financial stability. Do you think that he will deliver it ?

