How Would Capital Account Liberalisation Affect China’s Capital Flows and the Renminbi Real Exchange Rates?

Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR) Research Paper WP No. 09/2012

China & World Economy, 2012, Volume 20, Issue 6, pages 29–54. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-124X.2012.12001.x/abstract

32 Pages Posted: 19 Apr 2012 Last revised: 25 Jul 2022

Date Written: April 18, 2012

Abstract

This working paper was written by Dong He (Hong Kong Monetary Authority), Lillian Cheung (Hong Kong Monetary Authority), Wenlang Zhang (Hong Kong Monetary Authority) and Tommy Wu (Hong Kong Monetary Authority).

In this paper we study the determinants of gross capital flows, project the size of China’s international investment positions in 2020 and analyse the implications for the renminbi real exchange rates. We assume in this exercise that the renminbi will have largely achieved capital account convertibility by the end of this decade, a timetable consistent with recent proposals by the People’s Bank of China. Our analysis shows that China’s gross international investment positions would grow significantly, and inflows and outflows would become much more balanced. The private sector would turn its net liability position into a balanced position, and the official sector would reduce its net asset position significantly, relative to the country’s GDP. Because of the increasing importance of private sector foreign claims and the decreasing importance of official foreign reserves, China would be able to earn higher net investment incomes from abroad. Overall, China would continue to be a net creditor, with the net foreign asset position as a share of GDP remaining largely stable through this decade. These findings suggest that the renminbi real exchange rate would not be particularly sensitive to capital account liberalisation as capital flows are expected to be two-sided. The renminbi real exchange rate would likely be on a path of moderate appreciation as China is expected to maintain a sizeable growth differential with its trading partners.

Keywords: Capital Account Liberalisation, Net Foreign Asset Position, Exchange Rates

JEL Classification: F21, F31, F37

Suggested Citation

Institute for Monetary and Financial Research, Hong Kong, How Would Capital Account Liberalisation Affect China’s Capital Flows and the Renminbi Real Exchange Rates? (April 18, 2012). Hong Kong Institute for Monetary and Financial Research (HKIMR) Research Paper WP No. 09/2012, China & World Economy, 2012, Volume 20, Issue 6, pages 29–54. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1749-124X.2012.12001.x/abstract, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2042315 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2042315

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