As Beijing figures out what to do, it is keeping interest spreads wide to bolster the banks, hoping that they can earn their way out of a predicament.

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Figures last year showed that Beijing's population, including nearby towns and villages, had reached 20m, up nearly 45% on a decade earlier, and exceeding the city government's estimate for 2020.

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The figures are a bit misleading, because Beijing municipality covers an area half Belgium's size, with far-flung satellite towns and a rural expanse.

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Benin's francs have Olympic figures, to gear up for its participation in the 2008 games in Beijing.

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But Caixin Weekly, a Beijing magazine, reports that provinces still vie with one another to boost their GDP figures with the help of big investment projects.

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Beijing, in turn, shows little sign of budging on the yuan, even though the latest figures show surprisingly strong export growth and higher-than-expected inflation.

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