The nation's total deposits slumped by $538 billion, or 1.3%, in April as investors looked for higher returns elsewhere and policymakers cracked down on companies that took advantage of preferential deposit rates to park cash at banks. One-year deposits at China's largest banks pay a record-low of just 1.45%. The rush of funds into higher-yielding assets indicates efforts by Chinese policymakers to boost risk appetite are starting to bear fruit, though the money has yet to translate into a jump in consumer spending or stock investment.
