Vintage cars show kicks off in London
Gorgeous scenery in NE China
Picturesque Barkol grassland in Xinjiang
Small Wild Goose Pagoda - A World Cultural Heritage Site along the Silk Road
Maritime Silk Road Luxuries of the Han Dynasty
Ciao! Chinese beauties!
An eye feast: BFA freshmen registration
Top 10 most lavish weddings
Most amazing chi-pao beauties
Chinese lingerie brand arrives in Las Vegas
BEIJING, Sept. 24 -- China's four major commercial banks have expressed veiled support for a mortgage policy change by the central bank rumored to be launched in the near future.
The Bank of China (BOC) said on Wednesday it has authorized local branches to adjust their practice based on market and policy changes, applying adjusted loan application methods.
The BOC said its practice will be market oriented and they will carry out active measures to meet rational housing demands.
Releasing a nearly identical statement, the Agricultural Bank of China said it will put mortgages for first-time home purchases as priority and improve the structure of its lending to the property sector.
Both banks vowed to accelerate their mortgage approval process.
Their announcements followed responses from the other two giant banks, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank, that demonstrated supportive attitudes on Tuesday.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, reportedly asked the four big banks to relax their mortgage rules, which will require a lower down payment on the purchase of a second home amid the sluggish property market.
Experts said, if true, the move will satisfy rational housing demands which have been restrained since the government started anti-speculation campaign to cool the property market in 2010.
The once-heated market has started to chill. Government data revealed more cities reported month-on-month price drops in August as new homes in 68 saw price declines out of 70 major Chinese cities surveyed, compared with 64 in July.
Military training in Hong Kong
Teahouses in Chongqing: Worship to the leisure lifestyle
Giant white gourd weighing 87 kilograms appears in SE China
Advanced arms help to safeguard China-ASEAN Expo
Leading director Wang Quan'an detained for 'buying sex'
Heaven on earth: Dongjiang Lake in Hunan
Mixed reaction to smartphone sidewalk
Amazing aerial photos of China's Xisha Islands
Top 10 world's highest-paid models 2014
Lingerie show at 2014 Miss China
Songstress Li Xianglan dies at 94
Police recruiting posters
Anshun Daxi- Living fossil of Chinese drama
Urban farmers in China
'Firepower-2014 Weibei'military exerciseDay|Week|Month