In order to standardize the opening and use of domestic foreign exchange accounts by overseas institutions and other relevant operations, to prevent financial risks, and to further promote facilitation of trade and investment, the SAFE recently issued the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning the Management of Domestic Foreign Exchange Accounts of Overseas Institutions (hereinafter referred to as the Circular). The Circular will take effect as of August 1, 2009. 
The content of the Circular mainly includes: First, the universal qualifications for banks to handle the relevant businesses are provided. The Circular specifies that all qualified Chinese-funded and foreign-funded banks within the territory of China can open domestic foreign exchange accounts and can provide financial services for overseas institutions according to the regulations. Second, the qualifications for the account opening, scope of use, and management principles for the domestic foreign exchange accounts of overseas institutions are clarified. Receipts and payments from/to domestic parties of the domestic foreign exchange accounts of overseas institutions are subject to cross-border transaction administration; unless otherwise specified, the balances in the domestic foreign exchange accounts of the overseas institutions shall be incorporated into the short-term external debt quota management. Third, statistical monitoring and risk prevention are strengthened. The Circular requires that banks utilize a uniform identification for the domestic foreign exchange accounts of overseas institutions, and incorporate these accounts into the foreign exchange account management information system for management purposes. When conducting relevant business related to the domestic foreign exchange accounts of overseas institutions, the domestic banks shall abide by the provisions of the anti-money laundering laws, the administrative regulations, and the departmental rules. During the course of drafting the Circular, the SAFE extensively solicited opinions from various sources, including from the general public via its official Web site. The relevant opinions and suggestions have been taken into full consideration.     
Implementation of the Circular will be conducive for banks to broaden the scope of their foreign exchange business, so as to give better play to the role of financing to bolster economic growth and to promote structural adjustments. It will also help increase the efficiency of fund use by both Chinese-funded and foreign-funded enterprises, guarantee fund security, and better promote facilitation of trade and investment. Furthermore, by standardizing management and strengthening risk prevention, the Circular is expected to effectively prevent abnormal inflows and outflows of foreign exchange funds via the domestic foreign exchange accounts of overseas institutions and to effectively safeguard national financial security. (End)