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Currencies

Currencies
Currency market action focused on developments with the Chinese yuan and the Hong Kong dollar.
Hong Kong was the largest offshore yuan market as of December, with 74.6 per cent of payments. Photo: DPA
Banking & finance

Beijing expects Hong Kong to press advantage as offshore yuan hub

Officials pledge ‘unswerving’ support for Hong Kong’s development as a financial centre while urging city to promote global yuan use.

Malaysia

‘Perfect time’: weak rupiah makes Indonesia irresistible for Malaysian tourists

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Banking & finance

China sees revival of foreign investors through IPOs, convertibles: UBS

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Hong Kong economy

Open Questions | Hong Kong must embrace ‘bipolar’ role to thrive in its ‘Stage 3.0’: Charles Li

Veteran deal maker urges an IPO link to lure global resource giants and turn Chinese buyers into owners as city solidifies role as East-West bridge and global capital hub.

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong considers new offshore yuan venture fund for tech, emerging industries

Initiative would build on AI and finance convergence while supporting yuan internationalisation, finance chief Paul Chan says.

China trade

China-led SCO bloc looks to fast-track plan for new bank, rival Western lenders

Member states seek more financial autonomy and localised credit by advancing an effort to fund regional growth using their national currencies, not the US dollar.

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Donald Trump

Note for Trump: US Treasury designs US$250 bill with president’s face

Scott Bessent confirms planning for currency despite a long-standing legal ban on living faces on banknotes.

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A proposed US$250 bill featuring President Donald Trump. Photo: AFP
Yuan

For a yuan in deeper markets, Fed ex-head cites dollar playbook, flags risks

Meanwhile, surging costs are ‘likely to hit US inflation data a bit harder and perhaps longer’ than expected, according to the former central bank official.

Hong Kong stock market

US$32b worth of Hong Kong assets involved in transborder trade crackdown: Citic

The assets involve a crackdown on Futu, Tiger Brokers and Long Bridge for offering mainland Chinese investors access to unlicensed trading.

Yuan

China’s yuan hits 3-year high as global banks issue bullish forecasts

Beijing has set the yuan at its strongest level against the US dollar since early 2023, with banks projecting further appreciation.

Beijing has set the Chinese yuan at its strongest level against the US dollar since February 2023. Photo: Shutterstock
China trade

Ex-mayor calls for stronger yuan, tariff cuts to reduce China’s trade surplus

Huang Qifan says coordinated policies, including gradual yuan appreciation and lowering of tariffs, are needed to address trade imbalances.

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Huang Qifan, former mayor of Chongqing, speaks at the Tsinghua PBCSF Global Finance Forum in Chengdu on Tuesday. Photo: Handout
Yuan

As the world retreats from US Treasuries, will the sell-off deepen?

China is one of several nations trimming their exposure to US debt, as inflation drives Treasury yields to levels not seen since 2007.

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Yuan

China’s US Treasuries slump may not be what it seems

A reduction in China’s direct holdings of US government debt may be partly offset by the nation holding Treasuries via third parties.

Yuan

China joins global sell-off of US Treasuries in March as Iran war prompts panic

Seven of the top 10 foreign holders cut their exposure to US government debt, led by Japan, which offloaded US$47.7 billion.

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Mainland Chinese investors are among seven of the top 10 foreign holders to cut their exposure to US government debt, triggered by uncertainty around the war in Iran. Photo: AFP
Yuan

Editorial | Why China’s yuan is gaining appeal

More countries find yuan financing attractive. Even without full convertibility, the Chinese currency offers something invaluable.

Many mainstream economists think the yuan faces insurmountable barriers to internationalising as a major currency because of domestic capital controls. They are not wrong, but Beijing has different goals. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

How a US$5 billion Chinese lifeline to Argentina shrank to almost nothing

Central bank records show the swap balance fell to US$675 million as Washington pressed Buenos Aires to wind it down.

Yuan

As China’s yuan hits multi-year highs, Beijing puts the focus on stability

China’s top foreign exchange regulator said in an article that authorities would seek to keep the yuan ‘basically stable’.

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Hong Kong property

Mainland Chinese demand for Hong Kong homes grows on yuan gains and rising rents

Purchases climb to a two-year high in April as mainland Chinese buyers pile into new launches, drawn by rental yields and yuan’s strength.

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The value of purchases in the first four months of 2026 reached HK$61.6 billion, equal to 45 per cent of last year’s HK$137.9 billion total. Photo: Jelly Tse
Yuan

How Australia’s mining giants are helping China to globalise the yuan

Mining firms are increasingly using the yuan for financing and settlements, as China pushes to reduce its reliance on the US dollar.

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China trade

Pakistan to tap China debt market with first sale of yuan-priced ‘panda bonds’

Islamabad turns to ‘panda bonds’ to secure cheaper credit and diversify its borrowing into yuan-denominated funding, with a focus on sustainable development.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Just because Brics isn’t a coherent bloc doesn’t mean it’s impotent

The grouping has a future, not as a binding structure demanding policy alignment but as a tool for members to enhance leverage and maximise options.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Yuan

China sets yuan at strongest level in 3 years as US dollar jitters simmer

Beijing is pushing for a stronger yuan to help globalise the currency, but the upswing could create issues for the country’s export giants.

The Chinese yuan has steadily strengthened against the US dollar in recent months. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong Exchange Fund records smallest gain in 5 quarters amid market slump

The war chest used to defend the city’s currency takes a hit as conflicts in Middle East prompt investors to move from stocks to safer assets.

US, Israel war on Iran

Trump says US will ‘guide’ ships out of Hormuz, as vessels attacked

US to launch new mission dubbed ‘Project Freedom’ as Tehran signals interference would be seen as a ceasefire violation.

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Brics

Brics to push for intra-currency payments as ‘immunity’ against Western clout

New Delhi has to be wary of any move to challenge the US dollar as it seeks to sign an interim trade deal with Washington, analysts say.

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Leaders from Brics member and partner countries gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
Yuan

Open Questions | Why China’s yuan faces the same ‘illusions’ that stalled the euro: Daniel Gros

Former European economic adviser says Beijing’s bid to build an international currency will hinge on leaders allowing it to fluctuate freely.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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

Economic sanctions, access to US-led banking systems are powerful tools, but overuse reduces their effectiveness over time, Congress told.

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