EARLY IN SEPTEMBER Evergrande, China's biggest home-builder, announced the kind of sale more commonly seen in clothing stores: "30% off all properties, one month only!" Some debated whether it was a gimmick or a genuine discount. But its motivation was clear. Deep in debt, Evergrande needed cash-and quickly. Events since then have highlighted the urgency, and also raised the question of whether its struggles threaten the wider economy. Evergrande, after all, has more debt-nearly $120bn-than any other non-financial listed company in China. Having built as many as 600,000 homes annually, it has amassed a debt load 56 times bigger than a decade ago. And it has strayed far from its core business, founding a colossal football academy, a bottled-water brand (which it later sold) and an electric-car company.
展开▼
