For more on the US credit rating downgrade, we're joined in the studio by Ding Yifan, a researcher with China's State Council Development and Research Center.

Q1: China is the largest stakeholder of US debt. There's speculation that the rating downgrade may lead to a depreciation of the US dollar, meaning big losses for China. Do you think fears of an impact on the Chinese economy are well-founded?

Q2: Asian shares have fallen sharply after the downgrade. Why is this, and what lies ahead for the stock markets in the coming days?