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As at the end of June 2020, China's banking sector recorded external financial assets of USD 1240.7 billion, external liabilities of USD 1367.1 billion, and net external liabilities of USD 126.4 billion including net RMB liabilities of USD 337.3 billion and net foreign currency assets of USD 210.9 billion. Among the external financial assets of the banking sector, deposits and loans were USD 892.2 billion, bonds investment, USD 178.2 billion, and other assets including equity, USD 170.3 billion, accounting for 72 percent, 14 percent and 14 percent of the sector's total external financial assets respectively. By currency, RMB assets were USD 132.5 billion, USD assets were USD 842.1 billion, and other currency assets were USD 266.0 billion, accounting for 11 percent, 68 percent and 21 percent respectively. Among the external financial assets of the banking sector, the amount invested in the overseas banking sector was USD 624.2 billion, accounting for 50 percent; the amount invested in the overseas non-banking sector was USD 616.5 billion, accounting for 50 percent. Among the external liabilities of the banking sector, deposits and loans were USD 777.4 billion, bonds investment, USD 220.3 billion, and other liabilities including equity, USD 369.5 billion, accounting for 57 percent, 16 percent and 27 percent of the sector's total external liabilities respectively. By currency, RMB liabilities were USD 469.8 billion, USD liabilities, USD 548.2 billion, and other currency liabilities, USD 349.1 billion, accounting for 34 percent, 40 percent and 26 percent respectively. Among the external liabilities of China's banking sector, USD 584.9 billion was from overseas banking sector, accounting for 43 percent; while USD 782.2 billion was from overseas non-banking sector, accounting for 57 percent. (End) 2020-09-29/en/2020/0929/1758.html
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External Financial Assets and Liabilities of China's Banking Sector (As of June 30 2020) 2020-09-29/en/2020/0929/1759.html
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According to the statisticsof the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), the Chinese foreignexchange market (excluding foreign currency pairs, the same below) recorded totaltransactions of RMB 14.45 trillion (equivalent to USD 2.15 trillion) in October 2020. In terms of markets, thetransactions volume of client market was RMB 2.28 trillion (equivalent to USD 0.34 trillion), and the transactionsvolume of interbank market was RMB 12.17 trillion (equivalent to USD 1.81 trillion). In terms ofproducts, the cumulative transactions volume of the spot market was RMB 5.85 trillion (equivalent to USD0.87 trillion), and that of the derivatives market was RMB 8.61 trillion (equivalent to USD 1.28 trillion). From January to October 2020, a total of RMB 164.74 trillion (equivalent to USD 23.65 trillion) was traded in the Chinese foreignexchange market. 2020-09-25/en/2020/0925/1756.html
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As shown in the statistics of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), in February 2021, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 1091.6 billion and RMB 910.6 billion, respectively, with a surplus of RMB 181.0 billion. During January to February 2021, the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 2383.9 billion and RMB 1938.5 billion, respectively, with an accumulative surplus of RMB 445.4 billion. In the US dollar terms, in February 2021, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 169.0 billion and USD 141.0 billion, respectively, with a surplus of USD 28.0 billion. During January to February 2021, the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 368.5 billion and USD 299.7 billion, respectively, with an accumulative surplus of USD 68.8 billion. In February 2021, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was RMB 2411.1 billion and RMB 2196.6 billion, respectively, with a surplus of RMB 214.5 billion. During January to February 2021, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was RMB 5606.3 billion and RMB 5075.4 billion, respectively, with an accumulative surplus of RMB 530.9 billion. In the US dollar terms, in February 2021, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 373.2 billion and USD 340.0 billion, respectively, with a surplus of USD 33.2 billion. During January to February 2021, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 866.5 billion and USD 784.5 billion, respectively, with an accumulative surplus of USD 82.0 billion. Addendum: Glossary and relevant definitions Balance of payments (BOP) refers to all economic transactions between residents and non-residents. Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks refers to settlement and sale transaction that bank executes for customers and for the banks themselves, including statistic data on settlements of forward contracts for foreign exchange settlement and sales and the exercises of option, and excluding the transactions in the interbank foreign exchange market. The statistic reporting date of Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks should be the trade day of the Foreign exchange settlement and sales transaction. By definition, foreign exchange settlement means foreign exchange holders sell foreign exchange to designated foreign exchange bank, and foreign exchange sales means designated bank sells foreign exchange to foreign exchange buyers. The newly signed contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to the binding forward contract between designated foreign exchange bank and client that predetermines foreign exchange currency, amount, exchange rate and tenor which to be executed upon maturity. The unwind amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to, where client is unable to perform the original forward contract due to change in its real demand, client to fully or partially close its forward position by executing another deal with opposite direction to the original contract. The rolling amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to client to adjust the settlement date of original contract due to change in its real demand. The outstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the end of the current period refers to the total amount of forward contracts accumulated from all non-matured forward contracts with client. The net Delta exposure of outstanding options refers to the implied foreign exchange spot risk exposure from outstanding option contracts that bank executed with client. The cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors refers to the receipts and payments between domestic non-banking sectors (including institutional and individual residents) and non-residents through domestic banks, excluding receipts and payments in cash. In particular, the statistics includes cross-border receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (including RMB and foreign currency), and domestic receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (temporarily excluding domestic receipts and payments in RMB between individual residents and non-resident individuals). Data are collected when customers conduct receipts and payments with non-resident counterparties at domestic banks. Specifically, the receipts refer to the capital of non-banking sectors received from non-residents via domestic banks; the payments refer to the capital of non-banking sectors paid to non-residents via domestic banks. 2021-03-19/en/2021/0319/1810.html
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The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has recently released the data on foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks and cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors for January 2021. The SAFE deputy administrator and press spokesperson Wang Chunying answered media questions on foreign exchange receipts and payments for January 2021. Q: Could you brief us on the situations of China’s foreign exchange receipts and payments in January 2021? A: China's foreign exchange market stayed generally stable in January. Seen from major indicators, foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks registered a surplus of US$40.8 billion, down 39% month on month, while non-banking sectors recorded a surplus of US$48.8 billion in cross-border receipts and payments with a decline of 10%. The surpluses in the above indicators are mainly attributed to seasonal factors. As China’s goods exports and surplus are generally high by the yearend, and fund demand of enterprises is stronger before the Spring Festival, foreign exchange receipts and settlement under trade are put together. In January, foreign exchange settlement and sales and cross-border receipts and payments under trade in goods posted surpluses of over US$40 billion each, and were the major contributors to the surplus. With stable expectations, market players were rational in foreign exchange settlement and sales. In January, the settlement ratio that measures enterprises' willingness to settle their foreign exchange, which is the ratio of foreign exchange customers sold to banks to their receipts of foreign exchange from foreign-related transactions, was 65%, down by six percentage points month on month. The foreign exchange sales ratio that measures the willingness to buy foreign exchange, which is the ratio of foreign exchange purchased by customers from banks to the customers' cross-border foreign exchange payments was 62%, up by two percentage points. Cross-border investments were active in both directions. The cross-border receipts and payments under the capital account stayed high in both directions, maintaining a general equilibrium. The cross-border receipts and payments under direct investment maintained net inflows. Portfolio investment registered a net outflow on the whole. Net holdings of onshore bonds and stocks by foreign investors increased by US$41.6 billion, while domestic players increased US$40.1 billion worth of Hong Kong shares through southbound trading. Generally, supported by the fundamentals of China’s stable and sustained economic recovery and the two-way opening-up of the financial market, China’s two-way cross-border capital flows have become more active, which is conducive to further enhancing the depth and width of the foreign exchange market. Looking ahead, the external environment is expected to remain intricate and complex, and there will still be a number of unstable and uncertain factors in the process of world economic recovery. Nevertheless, amid China’s efforts to build a new system for an open economy at a higher level, the foundation for sound and sustained economic growth remains unchanged, and the foreign exchange market is expected to run smoothly. 2021-02-20/en/2021/0220/1808.html
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The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has recently published the preliminary data on the Balance of Payments for the fourth quarter of 2020 and the whole year. The SAFE deputy administrator and press spokesperson Wang Chunying answered media questions on relevant issues. Q: Could you brief us on the features of China's balance of payments for 2020? A: The preliminary data on the Balance of Payments show that, in 2020, China’s current account registered a surplus of US$298.9 billion, 2% of the GDP of the same period, which remained in a reasonable range. Cross-border capital flows were stable in both directions and the balance of payments maintained basic equilibrium. First, trade in goods maintained a high surplus. Trade in goods in terms of BOP registered a surplus of US$533.8 billion in 2020. Specifically, exports increased 4% year on year while imports remained relatively unchanged from 2019, both of which remarkably outperformed expectations. On a quarterly basis, the surplus of trade in goods presented a “rising and then falling” trend. In the first quarter, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the size of surplus fell obviously. In the second quarter to the fourth quarter, as a result of effective pandemic prevention and control measures, China took the lead in resuming work and production, thus filling the global output gap and the surplus recovered quickly. Second, trade in services posted a declining deficit. In 2020, the deficit of trade in service was US$145.3 billion, down by 44% year on year. In particular, travel services posted a deficit of US$116.2 billion, a decline of 47% year on year. It’s mainly attributed to plunge of receipts and payments and restrictions on cross-border travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, direct investment continued with the relatively high surplus, while portfolio investment was active in both directions. In 2020, direct investment recorded a surplus of US$103.4 billion, up by 78% year on year, in which, outbound direct investment was US$109.6 billion, witnessing an increase of 12% from the same period last year. Outbound investment made by domestic entities remained rational and orderly. Foreign direct investment reached US$213 billion, up by 37% year on year, indicating that foreign investors are optimistic about the long-term development potential of China’s economy. The two-way flows under portfolio investment became more active, posting growth in both outbound and inbound portfolio investment. In summary, China is accelerating the building of a new development pattern, featured as domination by domestic cycle and mutual promotion between domestic and international cycle. Efforts will be made to coordinate domestic and foreign demands, imports and exports, outbound and inbound investments, which will contribute to the equilibrium of balance of payments. 2021-02-19/en/2021/0219/1807.html
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As at the end of 2020, China's banking sector recorded external financial assets of USD 1372.4 billion, external liabilities of USD 1484.7 billion, and net external liabilities of USD 112.3 billion including net RMB liabilities of USD 435.6 billion and net foreign currency assets of USD 323.4 billion. Among the external financial assets of the banking sector, by instrument, deposits and loans were USD 1003.3 billion, bonds investment, USD 181.6 billion, and other assets including equity, USD 187.5 billion, accounting for 73 percent, 13 percent and 14 percent of the sector's total external financial assets respectively. By currency, RMB assets were USD 149.6 billion, USD assets were USD 943 billion, and other currency assets were USD 279.9 billion, accounting for 11 percent, 69 percent and 20 percent respectively. By counterpart sector, the amount invested in the overseas banking sector was USD 708.4 billion, accounting for 52 percent; the amount invested in the overseas non-banking sector was USD 664 billion, accounting for 48 percent. Among the external liabilities of the banking sector, by instrument, deposits and loans were USD 809.5 billion, bonds investment, USD 291.6 billion, and other liabilities including equity, USD 383.5 billion, accounting for 55 percent, 20 percent and 26 percent of the sector's total external liabilities respectively. By currency, RMB liabilities were USD 585.2 billion, USD liabilities, USD 561.4 billion, and other currency liabilities, USD 338.1 billion, accounting for 39 percent, 38 percent and 23 percent respectively. By counterpart sector, USD 613.4 billion was from overseas banking sector, accounting for 41 percent; while USD 871.3 billion was from overseas non-banking sector, accounting for 59 percent. (End) 2021-03-25/en/2021/0325/1813.html
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Q: The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has just released the latest data on China's foreign exchange reserves. Could you explain the causes of changes in foreign exchange reserves for February 2021? What will be the future trends? A: By the end of February 2021, China's foreign exchange reserves recorded US$3.205 trillion, down by US$5.7 billion which was 0.18% month on month. China’s foreign exchange market remained stable and market expectations became more rational in February 2021. In global financial markets, the US Dollar Index picked up and the prices of bond assets of the major countries fell, due to the development in COVID-19 vaccine, fiscal policies of the major countries and inflation expectations. Under the combined effect of foreign exchange rate conversion and asset price changes, China’s foreign exchange reserves dropped slightly . Going forward, as pandemic response and economic recovery will continue to face rising uncertainties, global financial market volatility will remain intensified. But China will better coordinate pandemic response and economic and social development, and maintain a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments, which will be favorable for a general stable foreign exchange reserve level. 2021-03-07/en/2021/0307/1809.html
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External Financial Assets and Liabilities of China's Banking Sector (As of December 31, 2020) 2021-03-25/en/2021/0325/1814.html
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The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has recently released the data on foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks and cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors for February 2021. The SAFE deputy administrator and press spokesperson Wang Chunying answered media questions on foreign exchange receipts and payments for February 2021. Q: Could you brief us on the situations of China’s foreign exchange receipts and payments in February 2021? A: China saw steady performance of its foreign exchange market in February. Major indicators showed that foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks registered a surplus of US$28 billion, and the non-banking sector’s foreign-related receipts and payments recorded a surplus of US$33.2 billion. As seasonal factors for massive foreign exchange receipts and settlement under trade subsided, the surplus in foreign exchange settlement and sales under trade in goods and the surplus in cross-border receipts and payments under trade in goods declined, leading to steady foreign exchange receipts and payments transactions. Market players’ willingness to sell and settle foreign exchange stayed stable on the whole. In February, the settlement ratio that measures customers' willingness to settle their foreign exchange, which is the ratio of foreign exchange customers sold to banks to their receipts of foreign exchange from foreign-related transactions, recorded 67%. The sales ratio that measures customers’ willingness to sell foreign exchange, which is the ratio of foreign exchange bought by customers from banks to their payments of foreign exchange for foreign-related transactions, was 61%, almost equal to that of January. Two-way cross-border capital investments were rational and orderly. In February, foreign-related receipts and payments under direct investment registered a surplus of US$13.7 billion, which served as a major channel for cross-border capital inflows, suggesting foreign investors were confident in Chinese market and its prospects. Two-way investments under securities were further balanced, posting a surplus of US$3.2 billion. For the moment, the COVID-19 pandemic is still wreaking havoc around the globe and there are many instabilities and uncertainties in the external environment. However, China’s fundamentals sustaining its long-term sound economic growth remain unchanged, let alone high-level two-way opening-up of the financial market is being advanced, which can boost the robust performance of China’s foreign exchange market and balanced flows of cross-border capital. 2021-03-19/en/2021/0319/1812.html