Five Things to Know About Chinese Trust Firms’ Scramble to Offload Risky Assets

It was a tough year for China’s trust firms in 2022, as many reported shrinking revenue or profits due to losses on their immense real estate investments, while regulators tightened scrutiny over the 22 trillion yuan ($3.2 trillion) trust industry.

Mounting nonperforming assets including risky loans on the books of trust firms — many of them linked to real estate — are likely to be of particular worry to Chinese regulators. At an April 28 meeting, the Politburo, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, called for authorities to make efforts to tackle risks in the trust industry.