State Administration of Foreign Exchange: Overall stability of China's foreign debt situation in the first quarter.

Recently, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange released China's external debt data as of the end of March 2026. Li Bin, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange and spokesperson, answered questions from reporters on related issues. Li Bin stated that the overall situation of China's external debt in the first quarter of 2026 is generally stable. First, the scale of external debt is stable with a slight increase. As of the end of March 2026, China's total (including domestic and foreign currencies) external debt balance was $241.21 billion, an increase of $8.33 billion compared to the end of 2025, an increase of 4%. This is mainly due to factors such as active cross-border trade, growth in non-resident deposits, and trade credits for enterprises. Second, the currency and term structures of external debt remain basically stable. In terms of currency structure, domestic currency-denominated debt accounted for 55%, unchanged from the end of 2025; in terms of term structure, medium and long-term debt accounted for 41%, a decrease of 2 percentage points from the end of 2025. This article is excerpted from the official website of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, edited by Xuwu Wenqiang.