US, China debt pose risks for global public finances: IMF

THE WORLD's TWO great economic rivals, China and the US, will drive much of the increase in global public debt over the next five years, with US spending creating trouble for many other countries by keeping interest rates high, officials at the International Monetary Fund said in a report.

- CHRISTOPHER CONDON

"In both economies, public debt is projected under current policies to nearly double by 2053," the IMF said in its Fiscal Monitor, an overview of global public finance developments.

"How these two economies manage their fiscal policies could therefore have profound effects on the global economy and pose significant risks for baseline fiscal projections in other economies."