What's happening: Evergrande, one of China's largest property developers, is in dire straits. It warned this week that it could default on its substantial debts, listing $300 billion in total liabilities, if it can't raise money quickly. Should that happen, the effects would be felt across the country's banking system. The group has also suspended work on some projects as it tries to conserve cash, a move that's poised to hit China's property sector.
Investors are clearly worried. Evergrande's shares in Hong Kong are off 72% this year. That's significantly worse than the 29% plunge suffered by Alibaba (BABA), which has been at the center of the Chinese government's efforts to rein in big tech firms. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index is off 4% year-to-date.
