China had hot money flowing out of its system for the second consecutive month in November, with Chinese banks’ yuan positions for foreign exchange purchases falling by 27.9 billion yuan ($4.43 billion) amid renewed concerns over a hard landing.
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A fall of 24.9 billion yuan was first registered in October, the first time in four years for China.
Analysts believe this could prompt policymakers to further loosen monetary policy, and perhaps return to the pegging of the yuan to the dollar.
In a news briefing in Beijing, Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist at Nomura said “increasing capital outflows reflected China’s shrinking trade surplus and slowing foreign direct investments in the short run.”
Separately, Japan’s finance minister Jun Azumi said yesterday that the country was in talks to purchase Chinese government debt, as a way to strengthen economic ties between the two nations.
Although no formal agreement has been made, Azumi said the move would be “mutually beneficial.” At the same time, he stressed: