China’s leaders are seeking to deleverage the economy without a hard landing. Six fault lines will be closely watched next year to gauge their success. Risks to a soft-landing scenario include a credit crunch sparked by a shadow bank default or capital outflows, an external shock that undermines business confidence, a further slump in home sales, or rising U.S. interest rates, said economists and analysts interviewed by Bloomberg. While they don’t expect such outcomes, these are the areas identified that could trigger a plunge in growth or systemic risk in the financial industry. To ensure China achieves growth of ... (full story)