In December 2005, five more cities, namely Harbin, Changchun, Lanzhou, Yinchuan and Nanning, were opened ahead of schedule to foreign financial institutions for local currency business, bringing the total number of cities allowed for RMB business from 18 up to 25.
In October 2010 the Law on Fiscal Responsibility was adopted, introducing the fiscal rule and establishing the Fiscal Council. In an effort to restrain public spending, public sector wages and pensions remained nominally frozen throughout 2009 and 2010. Public debt currently stands at around 45% of GDP, which is below ratios for most Eurozone countries.