#China #Chinadebt #debt
Here is an interesting story. Many years back I was sitting in my then business partner and friend's home office in Zurich, and we were (as usual) discussing financial markets, options, etc.
Suddenly my eye fell on something hanging on his wall.
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Here is an interesting story. Many years back I was sitting in my then business partner and friend's home office in Zurich, and we were (as usual) discussing financial markets, options, etc.
Suddenly my eye fell on something hanging on his wall.
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It was a bond, a Chinese Bond! with a lot of interest coupons attached. I might try and get a photo of that, but it looked a little bit like this:
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It was a bond, a Chinese Bond! with a lot of interest coupons attached. I might try and get a photo of that, but it looked a little bit like this:
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These bonds are old Chinese sovereign debt from early 1900s, supposedly backed by Gold, and issued in Vienna. Because of Chinese poverty the western countries never did get a chance to redeem this investment, and these bonds lie today in
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These bonds are old Chinese sovereign debt from early 1900s, supposedly backed by Gold, and issued in Vienna. Because of Chinese poverty the western countries never did get a chance to redeem this investment, and these bonds lie today in
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private collections, as art, like my friend's. It must also be said that after the communist govt took over, they simply ignored these bonds (but to the best of my knowledge never cancelled them).
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private collections, as art, like my friend's. It must also be said that after the communist govt took over, they simply ignored these bonds (but to the best of my knowledge never cancelled them).
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Today as per some estimates, these bonds could be worth US$1.6 trillion, if a legal case can be made to enforce this liability along with interest on the Chinese government. And I believe this is just the bonds lying as antiques with American collectors.
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Today as per some estimates, these bonds could be worth US$1.6 trillion, if a legal case can be made to enforce this liability along with interest on the Chinese government. And I believe this is just the bonds lying as antiques with American collectors.
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What if the US, and other countries decide to enforce these liabilities on the Chinese now? After all the Chinese did take the money, and sovereign debt doesnt get extinguished just because the govt changed right? @realDonaldTrump should go for it! Interesting, huh!
What if the US, and other countries decide to enforce these liabilities on the Chinese now? After all the Chinese did take the money, and sovereign debt doesnt get extinguished just because the govt changed right? @realDonaldTrump should go for it! Interesting, huh!
My friend kindly sent me the picture from his house:
