The one-year rate for deposits is increased to 2.79 percent and that for loans to 6.39 percent, according to the People's Bank of China, or the central bank.

Related readings:  Interest rate hike likely  China faces liquidity, inflation pressure  Most people want interest rate to increase  Central bank to rein in money flow

This is the first interest rate rise in 2007 after the central bank had raised commercial banks' deposit reserve ratio by 0.5 percentage points twice earlier this year to rein in excessive bank lending.

The central bank raised the rates for both deposits and loans by the same margin in August last year.

Raising the interest rates will help rationalize the growth of investment and lending, maintain price stability and promote healthy and fast development of the economy, the central bank said in a statement.

"By raising the interest rates, the central bank signaled its concern over the trend towards a higher inflation rate and an overheated economy", said Tang Min, chief economist with the Asia Development Bank Mission in China.

China's economy surged 10.7 percent last year, the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, driven by hefty investment and rocketing foreign trade, both of which registered a 24 percent year-on-year growth in 2006.

The Chinese government planned to keep the country's consumer price index (CPI), a major inflation indicator, under three percent this year but the index rose 2.7 percent in February and is still likely to rise further.

"The monetary policy must ensure the balanced economic development as the serious problem of excess liquidity is affecting every aspect of the economy", said Qin Chijiang, vice secretary general of the China Society for Finance and Banking.

China will employ a full range of monetary policy tools to adjust money and credit supplies in order to address the problem of excess liquidity in the banking system, according this year's government work report.

"The reserve ratio adjustments in January and February were effective in absorbing excess liquidity in banks but failed to curb commercial bank's excessive lending", said Yin Jianfeng, an expert with the China Academy of Social Sciences, adding that "the interest rate rise will help control the overall supplies of money and credit".

1

2

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)