CHINA'S central bank said on Sunday (Sep 29) it would tell banks to lower mortgage rates for existing home loans before Oct 31, as part of sweeping policies to support the country's beleaguered property market as the economy slows.

中国央行于周日（9月29日）表示，将要求各银行在10月31日前下调现有房贷利率，这是在经济放缓之际，为支持陷入困境的房地产市场而出台的一系列政策之一。

Commercial banks should, in batches, reduce interest rates on existing mortgages to no less than 30 basis points (bps) below the Loan Prime Rate (LPR), the central bank's benchmark rate for mortgages, according to a statement released by the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

中国人民银行（PBOC）发布声明称，商业银行应分批将现有房贷利率下调至不低于贷款市场报价利率（LPR，即央行的房贷基准利率）30个基点（bps）以下。

It is expected to cut existing mortgage rates by about 50 bps on average. Across China, a slew of policies including reductions in down-payment ratios and mortgage rates have been introduced this year to support China's crisis-hit property market.

预计现有房贷利率将平均下调约50个基点。今年以来，中国已出台了一系列政策，包括降低首付比例和房贷利率等，以支持陷入危机的房地产市场。

But the stimulus measures have struggled to boost sales or increase liquidity in a market shunned by buyers that has remained a big drag on broader economic growth.

然而，这些刺激措施在提振销量或增加市场流动性方面一直举步维艰，市场持续被买家冷落，对更广泛的经济增长构成了巨大拖累。

Adding to such efforts, Guangzhou city announced on Sunday the lifting of all restrictions on home purchases, while Shanghai and Shenzhen said they would ease restrictions on housing purchases by non-local buyers and lower the minimum downpayment ratio for first homebuyers to no less than 15 per cent. Reuters reported on Friday that Shanghai and Shenzhen were planning to lift key remaining restrictions to attract potential buyers.

在此类努力的基础上，广州市于周日宣布全面取消购房限制，而上海和深圳则表示将放宽非本地买家的购房限制，并将首次购房者的最低首付比例降至不低于15%。路透社周五报道称，上海和深圳正计划取消剩余的关键限制，以吸引潜在买家。

The announcements on Sunday come after China unveiled on Tuesday its biggest stimulus since the Covid pandemic to pull the economy out of its deflationary funk.

周日发布的这些公告是在中国周二宣布自新冠疫情以来最大的经济刺激计划，以摆脱通货紧缩困境之后发布的。

'Urgent adjustments' to boost sales

“紧急调整”以提振销量

Property-related figures released earlier this month showed new home prices fell at the fastest pace in more than nine years in August and property sales slumped 18 per cent in the first eight months of the year.

本月早些时候发布的房地产相关数据显示，8月份新房价格跌幅创九年多来最快，而前八个月房地产销售额同比下降18%。

The mortgage rate reduction set out by the central bank aims to ease homeowners' mortgage burden, seeking to boost the property market and weak domestic consumption demand.

央行设定的房贷利率下调旨在减轻房主的房贷负担，试图提振房地产市场和疲软的国内消费需求。

"As market-oriented reforms on interest rates continue to deepen, and the supply and demand relationship in the real estate market undergoes major changes, the current mortgage rate pricing mechanism has exposed some shortcomings," the PBOC said.

“随着利率市场化改革不断深化，房地产市场供求关系发生重大变化，现行的房贷利率定价机制已暴露出一些不足，”中国人民银行表示。

"With the public showing strong responses (to the situation), the mechanism needs urgent adjustments and optimisation," the PBOC added. China's biggest four state-owned banks, including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank, said they would actively respond to the policy and were promoting the orderly adjustment of existing mortgage interest rates.

“公众对此反应强烈，该机制急需调整和优化，”中国人民银行补充道。包括中国工商银行和中国建设银行在内的中国四大国有银行表示，将积极响应政策，推动现有房贷利率有序调整。

Most local governments, except for some megacities including Beijing and Shanghai, have already scrapped floors on mortgage rates.

除北京、上海等部分超大城市外，大多数地方政府已取消了对房贷利率的下限。

Previous mortgage rate reductions primarily benefited new homebuyers, leaving existing homeowners with higher-rate loans. This has resulted in a rush by households to pay off existing mortgages early, further constraining households' spending and consumption.

此前的房贷利率下调主要惠及新房买家，而现有房主仍背负着高利率贷款。这导致许多家庭急于提前偿还现有房贷，进一步限制了家庭支出和消费。

官方数据显示，截至6月底，个人房贷余额为37.8万亿元人民币（约合69亿新加坡元），同比下降2.1%。

The PBOC also announced on Sunday that it would extend supportive measures of developers' real estate development loans and trust loans to the end of 2026, to better fulfil developers' financing demand.

中国人民银行还于周日宣布，将开发商的房地产开发贷款和信托贷款的支持措施延长至2026年底，以更好地满足开发商的融资需求。

BYD has filed a recall of nearly 100,000 vehicles due to a manufacturing fault. According to China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the automaker will recall 96,714 Dolphin and Yuan Plus vehicles in China starting September 30th, 2024 due to fire risks. BYD filed a recall plan with SAMR's Defective Product Recall Center earlier today. Two BYD operating entities will conduct the recall.

比亚迪因制造缺陷已提交近10万辆汽车的召回计划。据中国国家市场监督管理总局（SAMR）消息，自2024年9月30日起，该汽车制造商将在中国召回96714辆海豚和元Plus汽车，原因是存在火灾风险。比亚迪今日早些时候已向国家市场监督管理总局缺陷产品召回管理中心提交了召回计划。此次召回将由比亚迪旗下的两家运营实体执行。

BYD Auto Industry Co., Ltd.

比亚迪汽车工业有限公司

Recalling 87,762 domestically produced Dolphin and Yuan Plus electric vehicles, manufactured between February 4, 2023, and December 26, 2023.

召回2023年2月4日至2023年12月26日期间生产的87,762辆国产海豚和元Plus电动汽车。

BYD Auto Co., Ltd.

比亚迪汽车有限公司

Recalling 8,952 domestically produced Yuan Plus electric vehicles, manufactured between November 2, 2022, and June 19, 2023.

召回2022年11月2日至2023年6月19日期间生产的8952辆国产元Plus电动汽车。

The recall targets certain vehicles due to defects in the manufacturing process of the electric power steering column assembly (CEPS) controller. When the equipment tool cover is closed, it may interfere with the capacitors on the controller circuit board, causing micro-cracks in the capacitors. These cracks may expand during vehicle use, leading to short circuits, overheating, and potentially fires, posing a safety risk.

此次召回针对的是部分车辆，原因是电动助力转向柱总成（CEPS）控制器制造过程中存在缺陷。当设备工具盖关闭时，可能会干扰控制器电路板上的电容器，导致电容器出现微裂纹。这些裂纹在车辆使用过程中可能会扩大，引发短路、过热，甚至可能起火，构成安全风险。

BYD dealers are to install insulation pads on the controllers free of charge to eliminate these safety hazards. Affected vehicle owners will be notified by registered mail, WeChat, and phone calls. BYD has also set up a customer service hotline for users affected by the recall. Recalls have been rare for BYD and this recall is the largest in BYD's history. The BYD Dolphin and BYD Yuan Plus (also known as BYD Atto 3 overseas) are some of BYD's most popular vehicles. Both models are being exported by BYD in overseas markets.

比亚迪经销商将免费为控制器安装绝缘垫，以消除这些安全隐患。受影响车辆的车主将通过挂号信、微信和电话通知。比亚迪还为受召回影响的用户设立了客户服务热线。比亚迪召回事件较为罕见，而此次召回是比亚迪历史上规模最大的一次。比亚迪海豚和比亚迪元Plus（海外称为比亚迪Atto 3）是比亚迪最受欢迎的车型之一。这两款车型均被比亚迪出口至海外市场。