Financial shot in the arm

In spite of seasonal factors such as the timing of the Chinese New Year, which may have dragged some lending forward, the stronger-than-expected growth in loans in China has considerably boosted confidence in the growth prospects for the world's second-largest economy.

The latest statistics from China's central bank show that the country's new yuan-denominated lending jumped to a new record of 2.51 trillion yuan ($385 billion) in January, up 71 percent from a year earlier.

China's record credit expansion in January alone cannot guarantee that the country's economic growth will pick up in the coming months. But with the help of more government spending and accelerated fixed-asset investment, the massive growth of bank loans will more than likely support a solid rebound of the Chinese economy.