Fears grow over direction of credit

'Addiction to debt' to fund local growth could spell trouble ahead

China's enormous injection of credit in the first four months of the year has failed to stoke desired growth, triggering concerns that the cash bonanza might not flow into the real economy, but into the shadow banking system instead.

Data released by the central bank last Friday showed total social financing, including all loans, bond issuance and stock sales hit 1.75 trillion yuan ($284 billion) in April.