By John Foley

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Dim prospects for payback await bondholders in China’s Suntech Power Holdings. The stricken solar panel maker, unlikely to meet a $541 million bond payment due on March 15, has persuaded over half its foreign creditors to hold off for two months. On purely financial grounds, it’s hard to see how the bondholders could come away with anything in the event of a default. What value remains is a bet that China values foreign investors too much to snub them outright.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China began 2013 with the same old economic model. Growth for the first two months of the year was driven mainly by exports and real estate. The increase in construction appears to have been fuelled by credit. The current trajectory can continue only by pumping ever more leverage, and risk, into the system.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China’s currency is a fickle measure of confidence in the country’s fortunes. For much of 2012 the yuan stagnated, causing investors to hold back on previous bets on its appreciation. Recent data suggests they have been piling back in to the Chinese currency – but that may not last.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China is at an urban crossroads. Almost 53 per cent of its population lived in cities and towns at the end of 2012. In another two decades, China will probably be nearing the 80 percent urbanization level common in the West – suggesting some 1.1 billion city-dwellers. Premier designate Li Keqiang wants urbanization to put people first. The question is: where in China will he put them?

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China’s house prices are too high and local tax revenue too low. What better way to address both problems than taxing capital gains on property? China’s cabinet has promised to enforce such a levy on homeowners. While that drove down the share prices of property developers, it is unlikely to do the same for real estate values.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

When it comes to China’s shadow banks, switching on the lights isn’t enough to make the risks go away. The country’s lenders may soon be asked to disclose their off-balance sheet lending activities, starting with a trial in Shanghai, according to the Financial Times.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China’s next credit crisis may be a local affair. A recent suggestion of setting up local bailout funds reflects the fact that it’s no longer big banks that present the biggest risks, but towns and regions. The elaborate ties between local borrowers, lenders and governments could make future credit problems both chaotic – and concentrated.

By John Foley

(The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own)

China’s elaborate money-go-round starts and ends with its cash-hoarding state-owned enterprises. So a plan to make them pay bigger dividends sounds promising. Still, if the goal is to return cash to the people, there is a long way to go.

By John Foley

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

China’s online giants are tooling for the mobile ad wars, and profit will be the first casualty. Of 560 million web users, three-quarters are already using smartphones, threatening massive disruption for companies who depend on online advertising revenue. Baidu, the dominant search provider that reports earnings on Feb. 4, has most to prove, and most to lose.