At the end of March 2009, China's outstanding external debt (excluding that of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan Province) reached USD 336.721 billion, a decrease of USD 37.94 billion or 10.13 percent compared with that at the end of 2008. Specifically, the outstanding long- and medium-term external debt (with the remaining term) reached USD 163.253 billion, a decrease of USD 623 million or 0.38 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 48.48 percent of the total outstanding external debt. The outstanding short-term external debt (with the remaining term) totaled USD 173.468 billion, a decrease of USD 37.317 billion or 17.7 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 51.52 percent of the total outstanding external debt.
Among the outstanding registered external debt of USD 252.621 billion, the outstanding sovereign debt borrowed by ministries under the State Council totaled USD 33.215 billion, accounting for 13.15 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded financial institutions was USD 78.699 billion, accounting for 31.15 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded enterprises was USD 96.084 billion, accounting for 38.04 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded financial institutions in China was USD 39.864 billion, accounting for 15.78 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded enterprises was USD 4.427 billion, accounting for 1.75 percent; and the outstanding debt of other institutions was USD 332 million, accounting for 0.13 percent.
From January to March 2009, long- and medium-term external borrowing was USD 3.804 billion, a decrease of USD 3.944 billion or 50.90 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. The repayment of the principal was USD 6.652 billion, an increase of USD 2.057 billion or 44.77 percent over that during the same period of the last year. The interest payment for the long- and medium-term external debt was USD 805 million, a decrease of USD 301 million or 27.22 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. (End)