China property trusts face rising default risks

[SHANGHAI] China's property trusts, grappling with repayments equivalent to the size of Puerto Rico's economy, face rising default risks as a former central bank adviser dubs real estate the biggest threat to the economy.

The trust funds must repay 634 billion yuan (S$130.84 billion) of debt this year, up 50 per cent from last year, according to estimates from Haitong Securities Co, the nation's second-biggest brokerage.

Th…