Nearly 1/5 of Chinese Companies and 1/3rd of RE Companies "Zombies"

``A look at 3,000 listed Chinese businesses by French investment bank Natixis found that interest costs exceeded cash flow for 18.5% of them last year, compared with 8% in 2010. Real estate, the most debt-ridden sector, saw its leverage level reach 197% last year, nearly double the figure for 2008, according to Natixis. The investment bank estimates that almost one-third of listed companies in the sector are "zombies" -- businesses that are on the brink of default but still taking on more debt. ''