An economic downturn, along with the real estate slump, certainly contributed to the the $137 billion Zhongzhi conglomerate’s woes. China has been cracking down on shadow banking since late 2017. So people naturally ask why this is happening now, and whether there are more blowups coming
China s dependence on real estate was lucrative during what seemed like a never-ending property boom, but it has become a liability after years of excessive borrowing and overbuilding. When China was growing faster, the excesses were papered over as developers borrowed more to pay off mounting debts. But now China is struggling to regain its footing after emerging from the paralyzing pandemic lockdowns its leaders imposed, and many of its economic problems are pointing back to real estate.