No game of numbers

Those who have worried that the Chinese government's stimulus package may turn out to be much smaller than the headline figure of 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) over two years can rest assured that local governments in this country will never let them down in terms of expanding investment.

Domestic reports had it that the stimulus plans of 24 provincial-level governments have already reached a total of about 18 trillion yuan ($2.64 trillion) over a period as long as up to five years.

Though it is difficult to figure out the exact amount of stimulus fund in each year, the sheer size of the aggregate planned investment speaks volumes for local governments' eagerness to spend.