Core Viewpoint - Local governments are beginning to repay debts early, with a focus on saving interest costs, following the trend set by local financing platforms that have already started early repayment of urban investment bonds [1][4]. Group 1: Early Repayment of Bonds - The Shaanxi Provincial Finance Department announced plans to repay part of its government bonds early, including a 60 million yuan repayment of a 6 billion yuan bond issued in 2019 and a 30 million yuan repayment of an 18.22 billion yuan bond issued in 2020 [2]. - Beijing has also been a pioneer in early repayment of government bonds, saving over 70% in interest expenses, and has repaid 39 million yuan in 2023, 4.976 billion yuan in 2024, and 145 million yuan by August of the current year [3]. Group 2: Cost-Saving Considerations - The primary reason for early repayment is to save on interest costs, as the interest rates on old debts are significantly higher than current rates [4]. - As of June 2025, the average issuance rate for local government bonds was 1.80%, a decrease of 54 basis points year-on-year, making early repayment financially advantageous for governments [5]. Group 3: Types of Bonds and Repayment Sources - Local government bonds are categorized into general bonds and special bonds, with special bonds being used for revenue-generating projects. Special bonds accounted for 65% of the total local government debt of 47.5 trillion yuan by the end of 2024 [6]. - The funds for early repayment are derived from the asset disposal income of the projects corresponding to the special bonds, and both Shaanxi and Beijing used competitive bidding to determine repayment prices [7]. Group 4: Market Impact and Challenges - The early repayment of bonds is expected to align with market prices, allowing creditors the option to hold or trade their bonds in the secondary market if they find the terms unfavorable [8]. - The limited number of local governments opting for early repayment is attributed to constrained fiscal space and the difficulty in assessing the market value of fixed assets generated from special bond investments [9].