CHINA CAN AFFORD ANOTHER BIG STIMULUS PROGRAMME: S&P

SINGAPORE - China has not introduced another large stimulus programme this year, despite growing economic tensions, but it remains an option if conditions sharply deteriorate, according to ratings agency Standard & Poor’s. "The Government retains significant capacity to support economic growth, if needed, partly because of China's sizable financial assets," says S&P credit analyst, Kim Eng Tan. S&P says the Government may be prepared to pump money into the economy if the currently stable unemployment rate rises steeply.