China’s stock market is trading at 50-60 times earnings – we really don’t know the number – and its residential properties are selling for 15-20 times average household income. Many draw parallels between China now and Japan of 1989 or Hong Kong of 1997. The comparison is wrong.

China’s urban residential properties and listed shares in the local and foreign stock market are worth 3.5 times GDP. Both Japan and Hong Kong peaked near 10 before bursting. I am not denying that China’s asset market is a bubble. Most blame excess liquidity for the bubble. Yes, China’s current account surplus is likely to reach 10 per cent of GDP in 2007. Such a large sum of surplus cash can cause a bubble. But, the government control of asset supply is more to blame for the ridiculous valuation.