At the end of September this year, China's outstanding foreign debts amounted to US$304.976 billion (excluding those of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions), which is $23.931 billion or 8.52 percent more than at the end of 2005, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange announced in Beijing on Thursday.

Medium and long-term debts accounted for $136.387 billion, an increase of $11.485 billion. Short-term debts comprised $168.589 billion or 55.28 percent of the total.

Of the total $207.876 of registered debts, sovereign debt �C borrowed by ministries under the State Council �C was $33.888 billion, 16.3 percent of the total, while the amount borrowed by financial institutions was $66.041 billion, or 31.77 percent. Foreign-funded enterprises borrowed $57.227 billion, accounting for 27.53 percent, and debt owed by foreign financial institutions in China reached $46.707 billion, 22.47 percent. Domestic enterprises borrowed $3.746 billion, or 1.8 percent of the total; leasing companies borrowed $97.1 billion and other institutions $267 million.

By People's Daily Online