Hong Kong(CNN) China’s central bank has created a surprise reduce to the quantity of cash that banks have to hold in reserve, in an work to hold cash flowing via the economic method and prop up the economy.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) mentioned it would reduce the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) for pretty much all banks by .25 percentage points, efficient March 27.

“[We must] make a excellent mixture of macro policies, greater serve the true economy, and preserve affordable and adequate liquidity in the banking method,” the PBOC mentioned in a statement.

The late Friday move came as a surprise and follows a week of turmoil in international economic markets triggered by the failure of some regional US banks.

As lately as Wednesday, analysts from Goldman Sachs mentioned they have been expecting the PBOC to hold interest prices and the RRR “unchanged” via the very first half of 2023.

The central bank had currently injected hundreds of billions of yuan into the banking method considering that January, primarily via a medium-term lending facility, the analysts mentioned.

The fast collapse of the two US banks and troubles at Credit Suisse have stoked fears about the well being of the international banking sector.

Regulators on each sides of the Atlantic have taken emergency measures considering that Sunday to deliver liquidity assistance to troubled lenders and shore up the self-assurance in the banking method. On Thursday, a group of America’s biggest banks stepped in to rescue 1st Republic Bank with a $30 billion lifeline.

Earlier this month, Yi Gang, governor of the PBOC, hinted at a news conference that monetary policy this year will be largely steady.

“The existing level of true interest prices is reasonably acceptable,” he mentioned.

But he also acknowledged that the RRR reduce “remains an efficient monetary policy tool” to deliver lengthy-term liquidity and assistance the economy.