7. Balance Sheet of the Non-financial Corporation Sector

Since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, government balance sheets have aroused widespread attention worldwide (Li et al. in Econ Res J 1, 2(6, 7), 2012; Li et al. in China’s national balance sheet 2013—theory, methodology and risk assessment, China Social Sciences Press, 2013; Ma et al. in Research on China’s national balance sheet, Social Sciences Academic Press, 2012; Yuanzheng and Ma in Asking advice for the national balance sheet. Caijing Magazine 15, 2012). In addition to the government and sovereign balance sheets, the balance sheets of the sectors such as households, non-financial corporations, financial institutions and the external sector are also important research targets. The best way to prepare the balance sheet of the non-financial corporation sector is undoubtedly to combine the balance sheets of all related non-financial corporations, i.e., to add up the asset, liability and equity items of all non-financial corporations to get the consolidated balance sheet. However, not every enterprise in the real economy regularly compiles its standard balance sheet. Even if enterprises compile their balance sheets, it is also an arduous task to collect and sort out the relevant data, so this ideal method is too costly and not operable.