SHANGHAI, Sept 19 Reuters China is widely expected to leave lending benchmark rates unchanged at a monthly fixing on Wednesday, a Reuters survey showed, as fresh signs of economic stabilisation and a weakening yuan constrained further monetary easing efforts.

The loan prime rate LPR normally charged to banks39; best clients is calculated each month after 18 designated commercial banks submit proposed rates to the central bank, the People39;s Bank of China PBOC.

In a poll of 29 market analysts and traders, all participants predicted the oneyear LPR would stay unchanged at 3.45, after the central bank kept the mediumterm policy rate steady last week.

For the fiveyear tenor , 26, or about 90 of all respondents, expected it to remain unchanged at 4.20, while the other three participants forecast a marginal reduction of 5 to 10 basis points.

Most new and outstanding loans in the world39;s second largest economy are based on the oneyear LPR, while the fiveyear rate influences the pricing of mortgages.

The mediumterm lending facility MLF rate serves as a guide to the LPR and markets mostly use the MLF rate as a precursor to any changes to the lending benchmarks.

China cut the oneyear benchmark lending rate in August but surprised markets by keeping the fiveyear rate unchanged amid broader concerns about a rapidly weakening currency.

Lin Li, head of global markets research for Asia at MUFG Bank, said both oneyear and fiveyear LPRs are likely to remain steady as a weakening…