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Currencies

Currencies
Currency market action focused on developments with the Chinese yuan and the Hong Kong dollar.
China’s President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 14. Photo: cnsphoto via Reuters
China economy

Opinion | For the US dollar, a subtler shift than a ‘petroyuan’ order is underfoot

Talk of a dollar collapse or ‘petroyuan’ order arriving amid the Iran war misses the mark. The larger shift is subtler and no less consequential.

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US-China trade war

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

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Yuan

China boosts overseas-loan quotas as ‘panda bond’ issuance hits record high

India

Macroscope | How the rupee’s fall shows India’s struggle to overcome vulnerabilities

While India’s economy is stronger than it was in previous sell-offs, lingering weaknesses are coming to the fore and driving new tensions.

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A man counts Indian rupee notes at a roadside currency exchange stall in the old quarters of Delhi on February 2. Photo: Reuters
Foreign exchange market

China trims US Treasury holdings as global ownership hits record

Beijing slightly pares its sovereign US debt position as private investors and certain financial hubs drive demand up.

Yuan

Yuan’s ‘golden window’ is open, former PBOC governor says as US dollar ebbs

Zhou Xiaochuan, who laid the foundation for China’s currency to go global, says Beijing can capitalise on changes in the international monetary landscape.

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Yuan

Conflict catalyst: China’s yuan settlements hit record amid Middle East tensions

Single-day transactions via China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System surge past 1 trillion yuan as Beijing’s moves to expand the yuan-payment network show signs of paying off.

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People are seen at a booth promoting China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System during a financial exhibition in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
Yuan

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

Many yuan transactions are now routed through China’s own global payment system, which often does not show up in traditional data sets, analysts say.

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Banking & finance

Editorial | Stablecoin launch delay shows Hong Kong would rather be safe than sorry

Given the complexity involved, it’s wise not to rush to meet any self-imposed deadline but to make sure a good framework is in place first.

Donald Trump

US currency to bear Trump’s signature in first for a sitting president

It is the latest instance of Trump putting his name and likeness on American cultural institutions.

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US President Donald Trump writes his signature. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Should Hong Kong be using ‘war chest’ firepower for Northern Metropolis?

Rare HK$150 billion transfer from the Exchange Fund has sparked fierce debate.

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Science

China names AI tokens after the yuan. Should US worry for the dollar?

China has officially designated ciyuan as the translation for ‘token’, giving strong economic overtones to what has been a tech term.

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Banking & finance

Open Dialogue | Gary Liu and Liu Xiaochun on the US and China’s divergent paths for stablecoins

As investors await Hong Kong’s first stablecoin licences, two experts discuss the assets’ integration with the city’s economy – and the world’s.

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Commodities

Gold slides as hawkish Fed and strong US dollar override geopolitical fears

Market watchers point to fading hopes of interest rate cuts and oil-driven inflation concerns as key drivers of the decline.

A modest rebound driven by technical buying on Friday did little to alter the broader downtrend, with gold prices hovering around the US$4,500 level. Photo: DPA
US-China relations

US-China split on digital money deepens as stablecoin debate stalls Clarity Act

Crypto push for yield clashes with banks, slowing US legislation as China advances interest-bearing e-CNY on a different path.

China’s e-CNY is a central bank digital currency that now allows interest-bearing holdings, reflecting Beijing’s state-led approach to digital money. Photo: VCG
Banking & finance

How China opened the door to creating a direct rival to US payment systems

Beijing has removed several key restrictions on its payment system, allowing it to expand beyond yuan settlements, economist says.

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Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

National People’s Congress deputy Li Yinquan says Hong Kong to gain substantially from Beijing’s push to internationalise yuan’s reach.

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Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Fears over Exchange Fund discipline overblown: Hong Kong’s dollar peg architect

John Greenwood says drawing HK$150 billion from the fund is justified, calling the move a legitimate, long‑term investment.

The Hong Kong dollar is pegged against the US dollar between a range of 7.75 to 7.85. Photo: Felix Wong
Yuan

Beijing vows yuan stability, fires back at currency-depreciation claims

PBOC governor reaffirms yuan stability, refuting trade partners’ accusations ahead of critical US talks in Paris.

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Yuan

As the yuan sizzles, China’s central bank deploys double-barrelled policy tweak

Regulators refine cross-border rules and cut the foreign exchange risk reserve ratio for forward forex sales to zero, aiming to provide stable offshore liquidity and help firms manage risks.

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United States

Macroscope | Normalisation of Trump’s chaos can only go so far

Markets assuming Trump will chicken out and downplaying risks contribute to the normalisation of the US president’s chaotic behaviour.

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US President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber at the Capitol in Washington on February 24. Photo: TNS
China manufacturing

A boat in every dock? Chinese billionaire unveils plan for mass yacht production

JD.com founder Richard Liu has launched a nautical brand with a massive investment in yacht production, aiming to make ownership affordable.

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Richard Liu’s brand, Sea Expandary, signed a strategic framework agreement on Tuesday with the coastal cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong, China’s southern powerhouse province, for a high-end yacht industrial base with planned investment of about 5 billion yuan (US$723 million), according to social media posts by the city governments. Photo: Handout
Brics

Why Brics can’t do away with US dollar even as currency cooperation rises

Brazil says there has been no proposal or talks within Brics to create a common currency across the bloc.

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Banking & finance

Why China’s rise as a ‘financial superpower’ could depend on Hong Kong

From the yuan’s growth as a global currency to IPO funding to tokenisation, the city is a linchpin in Beijing’s ambitions.

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Hong Kong budget 2026-27

Hong Kong budget 2026-27: should the coming blueprint boost yuan’s global push?

Experts say Hong Kong has ‘distinct advantages’ that can support the country’s financial development amid geopolitical uncertainties.

Given mainland China’s current capital controls, the internationalisation of the yuan has largely proceeded through offshore markets. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Macroscope | US dollar weakness is no game changer for a globalised yuan

Beijing will seize on the crisis to promote the yuan, but without capital account liberalisation – essential for a truly global currency – its rise will remain limited.

An employee of a bank counts US dollar notes at a branch in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016. The prospect of a prolonged dollar bear market has major implications for the global economy and markets. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

As China seeks to globalise the yuan, it finds a new vehicle in Africa

Africa Finance Corporation executive says entering Chinese capital markets is a ‘natural evolution’.

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Banking & finance

China lets yuan rise to strongest level in years as de-dollarisation trend grows

China’s central bank sets the yuan’s midpoint rate at its strongest level since mid-2023, as jitters over the US dollar buoy the Chinese currency.

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