Jim Grant: The world Has Never Seen The likes of China’s Credit Frenzy

Is China’s “credit frenzy” for real?  Some analysts, including Jim Grant of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer, are beginning to question this historic run up.

In the January 24 issue, Jim Grant notes that from year-end 2008 through the third quarter of 2013, Chinese bank balance sheets swelled, growing by $15.1 trillion, larger than the $14.6 stock of assets at American commercial banks.  For perspective, Grant notes that China’s reported GDP is $8.9 trillion compared to the US GDP of $16.7 trillion. In other words, China’s economic output is 12.2% of world GDP while their bank assets represent 33.1% of world GDP.

Specifically Grant...