Reuters (04.01.2017) Shaanxi is set to be one of the first Chinese provinces to participate in a pension investment scheme that allows them to invest in financial markets for the first time, Shaanxi Daily, a newspaper in the northwestern province, reported on Wednesday. With many provinces under severe pressure to meet pension repayments, Beijing has promised to push forward an investment plan for idle local pension funds, holding an estimated $290 billion, that will seek higher returns through alternative investment channels for higher returns. Shaanxi was among six Chinese provinces that had an annual pension deficit in 2015, with funds estimated to be only sufficient for repayments for up to 10 months, a report by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security showed.