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According to the statistical data released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), in August 2009 the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks on behalf of clients amounted to USD113.2 billion and USD84.1 billion respectively. The surplus of foreign exchange settlement and sales amounted to USD29.1 billion. During the month of August 2010, foreign-related receipts and payments of domestic banks on behalf of clients amounted to USD163.4 billion and USD137.1 billion respectively. The surplus of foreign-related receipts and payments reached USD26.3 billion. 2010-09-28/en/2010/0928/953.html
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The SAFE recently released China's Balance of Payments Statement for the year 2008. The statistics reveal that the current account and the capital and financial account posted a "twin surplus" in 2008, and international reserves maintained a growing momentum. In 2008, China's surplus under the current account totaled USD 426.1 billion, an increase of 15% year on year. Specifically, according to the statistical coverage of the balance of payments, the surpluses in goods, income, and current transfers reached USD 360.7 billion, USD 31.4 billion, and USD 45.8 billion, respectively, whereas the deficit in services amounted to USD 11.8 billion. Meanwhile, China's surplus under the capital and financial account totaled USD 19 billion in 2008, a decrease of 74% year on year. In particular, the net inflows of direct investments and portfolio investments amounted to USD 94.3 billion and USD 42.7 billion respectively, whereas the net outflows of other investments reached USD 121.1 billion. Furthermore, China's international reserves continued to grow. At the end of 2008, China registered a total of USD 1.946 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, an increase of USD 417.8 billion over that at the end of 2007. In addition, the BOP Analysis Team of the SAFE released China's Balance of Payments Report for the year 2008 in order to facilitate understanding of the data and analysis of China's balance of payments among all groups in the society. Balance of Payments * 2008 US dollars (thousands) Items Line Balance Credit Debit I. Current Account 1 426,107,395 1,725,893,261 1,299,785,866 A. Goods and Services 2 348,870,456 1,581,713,188 1,232,842,732 a. Goods 3 360,682,094 1,434,601,241 1,073,919,146 b. Services 4 -11,811,638 147,111,948 158,923,586 1.Transportation 5 -11,911,179 38,417,556 50,328,735 2.Travel 6 4,686,000 40,843,000 36,157,000 3.Communication Services 7 59,585 1,569,663 1,510,079 4.Construction Services 8 5,965,493 10,328,506 4,363,013 5.Insurance Services 9 -11,360,128 1,382,716 12,742,844 6.Financial Services 10 -250,884 314,731 565,615 7.Computer and Information Services 11 3,086,931 6,252,062 3,165,131 8.Royalties and Licensing Fees 12 -9,748,930 570,536 10,319,466 9.Consulting Services 13 4,605,315 18,140,866 13,535,551 10.Advertising and Public Opinion Polling 14 261,668 2,202,324 1,940,656 11.Audio-visual and Related Services 15 163,322 417,943 254,622 12. Other Business Services 16 2,885,059 26,005,857 23,120,798 13. Government Services, n.i.e. 17 -253,890 666,187 920,076 B. Income 18 31,437,960 91,614,872 60,176,912 1.Compensation of Employees 19 6,400,156 9,136,547 2,736,391 2.Investment Income 20 25,037,804 82,478,325 57,440,521 C. Current Transfers 21 45,798,979 52,565,201 6,766,222 1.General Government 22 -181,611 49,205 230,816 2. Other Sectors 23 45,980,590 52,515,996 6,535,406 II. Capital and Financial Account 24 18,964,877 769,876,094 750,911,218 A. Capital Account 25 3,051,448 3,319,886 268,439 B. Financial Account 26 15,913,429 766,556,208 750,642,779 1. Direct Investment 27 94,320,092 163,053,964 68,733,872 1.1 Abroad 28 -53,470,972 2,175,785 55,646,757 1.2 In China 29 147,791,064 160,878,179 13,087,115 2. Portfolio Investment 30 42,660,063 67,708,045 25,047,982 2.1 Assets 31 32,749,936 57,672,404 24,922,468 2.1.1 Equity Securities 32 -1,117,368 3,844,800 4,962,168 2.1.2 Debt Securities 33 33,867,304 53,827,604 19,960,300 2.1.2.1 Bonds and Notes 34 37,563,103 53,827,604 16,264,501 2.1.2.2 Money Market Instruments 35 -3,695,799 0 3,695,799 2.2 Liabilities 36 9,910,127 10,035,641 125,514 2.2.1 Equity Securities 37 8,721,011 8,721,011 0 2.2.2 Debt Securities 38 1,189,116 1,314,630 125,514 2.2.2.1 Bonds and Notes 39 1,189,116 1,314,630 125,514 2.2.2.2 Money Market Instruments 40 0 0 0 3. Other Investment 41 -121,066,726 535,794,199 656,860,925 3.1 Assets 42 -106,074,263 32,563,248 138,637,510 3.1.1 Trade Credits 43 5,866,953 5,866,953 0 Long-term 44 410,687 410,687 0 Short-term 45 5,456,266 5,456,266 0 3.1.2 Loans 46 -18,501,123 478,305 18,979,428 Long-term 47 -6,569,000 0 6,569,000 Short-term 48 -11,932,123 478,305 12,410,428 3.1.3 Currency and Deposits 49 -33,528,165 17,715,954 51,244,120 3.1.4 Other Assets 50 -59,911,928 8,502,035 68,413,963 Long-term 51 0 0 0 Short-term 52 -59,911,928 8,502,035 68,413,963 3.2 Liabilities 53 -14,992,463 503,230,952 518,223,415 3.2.1 Trade Credits 54 -19,049,071 0 19,049,071 Long-term 55 -1,333,435 0 1,333,435 Short-term 56 -17,715,636 0 17,715,636 3.2.2 Loans 57 3,620,979 442,835,925 439,214,946 Long-term 58 6,724,078 20,129,387 13,405,309 Short-term 59 -3,103,099 422,706,538 425,809,637 3.2.3 Currency and Deposits 60 2,702,297 59,226,206 56,523,909 3.2.4 Other Liabilities 61 -2,266,668 1,168,821 3,435,489 Long-term 62 -2,236,180 34,976 2,271,156 Short-term 63 -30,488 1,133,845 1,164,333 III. Reserves Assets 64 -418,978,429 0 418,978,429 3.1 Monetary Gold 65 0 0 0 3.2 Special Drawing Rights 66 -7,114 0 7,114 3.3 Reserves Position in the Fund 67 -1,190,315 0 1,190,315 3.4 Foreign Exchange 68 -417,781,000 0 417,781,000 3.5 Other Claims 69 0 0 0 IV. Net Errors and Omissions 70 -26,093,843 0 26,093,843 * This BOP statement employs rounded-off numbers. 124 The SAFE recently released China's Balance of Payments Statement for the year 2008. The statistics reveal that the current account and the capital and financial account posted a "twin surplus" in 2008, and international reserves maintained a growing momentum. In 2008, China's surplus under the current account totaled USD 426.1 billion, an increase of 15% year on year. Specifically, according to the statistical coverage of the balance of payments, the surpluses in goods, income, and current transfers reached USD 360.7 billion, USD 31.4 billion, and USD 45.8 billion, respectively, whereas the deficit in services amounted to USD 11.8 billion. Meanwhile, China's surplus under the capital and financial account totaled USD 19 billion in 2008, a decrease of 74% year on year. In particular, the net inflows of direct investments and portfolio investments amounted to USD 94.3 billion and USD 42.7 billion respectively, whereas the net outflows of other investments reached USD 121.1 billion. Furthermore, China's international reserves continued to grow. At the end of 2008, China registered a total of USD 1.946 trillion in foreign exchange reserves, an increase of USD 417.8 billion over that at the end of 2007. In addition, the BOP Analysis Team of the SAFE released China's Balance of Payments Report for the year 2008 in order to facilitate understanding of the data and analysis of China's balance of payments among all groups in the society. Balance of Payments * 2008 US dollars (thousands) Items Line Balance Credit Debit I. Current Account 1 426,107,395 1,725,893,261 1,299,785,866 A. Goods and Services 2 348,870,456 1,581,713,188 1,232,842,732 a. Goods 3 360,682,094 1,434,601,241 1,073,919,146 b. Services 4 -11,811,638 147,111,948 158,923,586 1.Transportation 5 -11,911,179 38,417,556 50,328,735 2.Travel 6 4,686,000 40,843,000 36,157,000 3.Communication Services 7 59,585 1,569,663 1,510,079 4.Construction Services 8 5,965,493 10,328,506 4,363,013 5.Insurance Services 9 -11,360,128 1,382,716 12,742,844 6.Financial Services 10 -250,884 314,731 565,615 7.Computer and Information Services 11 3,086,931 6,252,062 3,165,131 8.Royalties and Licensing Fees 12 -9,748,930 570,536 10,319,466 9.Consulting Services 13 4,605,315 18,140,866 13,535,551 10.Advertising and Public Opinion Polling 14 261,668 2,202,324 1,940,656 11.Audio-visual and Related Services 15 163,322 417,943 254,622 12. Other Business Services 16 2,885,059 26,005,857 23,120,798 13. Government Services, n.i.e. 17 -253,890 666,187 920,076 B. Income 18 31,437,960 91,614,872 60,176,912 1.Compensation of Employees 19 6,400,156 9,136,547 2,736,391 2.Investment Income 20 25,037,804 82,478,325 57,440,521 C. Current Transfers 21 45,798,979 52,565,201 6,766,222 1.General Government 22 -181,611 49,205 230,816 2. Other Sectors 23 45,980,590 52,515,996 6,535,406 II. Capital and Financial Account 24 18,964,877 769,876,094 750,911,218 A. Capital Account 25 3,051,448 3,319,886 268,439 B. Financial Account 26 15,913,429 766,556,208 750,642,779 1. Direct Investment 27 94,320,092 163,053,964 68,733,872 1.1 Abroad 28 -53,470,972 2,175,785 55,646,757 1.2 In China 29 147,791,064 160,878,179 13,087,115 2. Portfolio Investment 30 42,660,063 67,708,045 25,047,982 2.1 Assets 31 32,749,936 57,672,404 24,922,468 2.1.1 Equity Securities 32 -1,117,368 3,844,800 4,962,168 2.1.2 Debt Securities 33 33,867,304 53,827,604 19,960,300 2.1.2.1 Bonds and Notes 34 37,563,103 53,827,604 16,264,501 2.1.2.2 Money Market Instruments 35 -3,695,799 0 3,695,799 2.2 Liabilities 36 9,910,127 10,035,641 125,514 2.2.1 Equity Securities 37 8,721,011 8,721,011 0 2.2.2 Debt Securities 38 1,189,116 1,314,630 125,514 2.2.2.1 Bonds and Notes 39 1,189,116 1,314,630 125,514 2.2.2.2 Money Market Instruments 40 0 0 0 3. Other Investment 41 -121,066,726 535,794,199 656,860,925 3.1 Assets 42 -106,074,263 32,563,248 138,637,510 3.1.1 Trade Credits 43 5,866,953 5,866,953 0 Long-term 44 410,687 410,687 0 Short-term 45 5,456,266 5,456,266 0 3.1.2 Loans 46 -18,501,123 478,305 18,979,428 Long-term 47 -6,569,000 0 6,569,000 Short-term 48 -11,932,123 478,305 12,410,428 3.1.3 Currency and Deposits 49 -33,528,165 17,715,954 51,244,120 3.1.4 Other Assets 50 -59,911,928 8,502,035 68,413,963 Long-term 51 0 0 0 Short-term 52 -59,911,928 8,502,035 68,413,963 3.2 Liabilities 53 -14,992,463 503,230,952 518,223,415 3.2.1 Trade Credits 54 -19,049,071 0 19,049,071 Long-term 55 -1,333,435 0 1,333,435 Short-term 56 -17,715,636 0 17,715,636 3.2.2 Loans 57 3,620,979 442,835,925 439,214,946 Long-term 58 6,724,078 20,129,387 13,405,309 Short-term 59 -3,103,099 422,706,538 425,809,637 3.2.3 Currency and Deposits 60 2,702,297 59,226,206 56,523,909 3.2.4 Other Liabilities 61 -2,266,668 1,168,821 3,435,489 Long-term 62 -2,236,180 34,976 2,271,156 Short-term 63 -30,488 1,133,845 1,164,333 III. Reserves Assets 64 -418,978,429 0 418,978,429 3.1 Monetary Gold 65 0 0 0 3.2 Special Drawing Rights 66 -7,114 0 7,114 3.3 Reserves Position in the Fund 67 -1,190,315 0 1,190,315 3.4 Foreign Exchange 68 -417,781,000 0 417,781,000 3.5 Other Claims 69 0 0 0 IV. Net Errors and Omissions 70 -26,093,843 0 26,093,843 * This BOP statement employs rounded-off numbers. 124 2009-04-24/en/2009/0424/886.html
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The SAFE recently released China's Balance of Payments Statement for the first half of 2009. The statistics reveal that the current account and the capital and financial account continued to post a "twin surplus," but the scale of the surplus has begun to decline modestly. In the first half of 2009, China's surplus under the current account totaled USD 134.5 billion, a decrease of 30% year on year. Specifically, according to the statistical coverage of the balance of payments, the surpluses in goods, income, and current transfers reached USD 119 billion, USD 16.9 billion, and USD 15.2 billion, respectively, whereas the deficit in services amounted to USD 16.7 billion. Meanwhile, China's surplus under the capital and financial account totaled USD 61 billion, a drop of 15% year on year. In particular, the net inflows of direct investments and portfolio investments amounted to USD 15.6 billion and USD 20.2 billion respectively, whereas the net inflows of other investments reached USD 23.9 billion. Furthermore, China's international reserves continued to grow. At the end of June 2009, China registered a total of USD 2,131.6 billion in foreign exchange reserves, an increase of USD 185.6 billion over that at the end of 2008. For the purpose of enhancing the timeliness of the release of the data in the balance of payments statement, the SAFE released preliminary data on China's Balance of Payments Statement for the first half of 2009 on August 20. The data now available are subject to revision. In addition, the BOP Analysis Team of the SAFE released China's Balance of Payments Report for the First Half of 2009 in order to facilitate an understanding among all social groups of the data and analysis of China's balance of payments. Balance of Payments * First Half of 2009 US dollars (thousand) Items Line Balance Credit Debit I. Current Account 1 134,459,941 643,376,735 508,916,794 A. Goods and Services 2 102,319,724 576,190,644 473,870,920 a. Goods 3 118,976,618 521,262,315 402,285,697 b. Services 4 -16,656,894 54,928,329 71,585,222 1.Transportation 5 -9,148,812 10,632,325 19,781,137 2.Travel 6 -2,846,806 18,246,000 21,092,806 3.Communications Services 7 63,967 546,892 482,926 4.Construction Services 8 1,288,000 3,677,880 2,389,879 5.Insurance Services 9 -4,248,751 602,657 4,851,408 6.Financial Services 10 -26,701 158,530 185,231 7.Computer and Information Services 11 1,579,353 2,876,007 1,296,653 8.Royalties and Licensing Fees 12 -4,435,022 181,204 4,616,226 9.Consulting Services 13 2,291,165 8,253,302 5,962,137 10.Advertising and Public Opinion Polling 14 152,221 1,103,585 951,364 11.Audio-visual and Related Services 15 -104,943 38,736 143,678 12. Other Business Services 16 -1,300,352 8,186,771 9,487,123 13. Government Services, n.i.e. 17 79,789 424,439 344,650 B. Income 18 16,936,295 47,143,272 30,206,978 1.Employee Compensation 19 2,662,501 3,775,455 1,112,954 2.Investment Income 20 14,273,794 43,367,817 29,094,024 C. Current Transfers 21 15,203,922 20,042,819 4,838,897 1.General Government 22 -128,280 23,852 152,132 2. Other Sectors 23 15,332,202 20,018,967 4,686,765 II. Capital and Financial Account 24 60,994,554 342,306,167 281,311,613 A. Capital Account 25 1,348,333 1,448,015 99,683 B. Financial Account 26 59,646,222 340,858,152 281,211,930 1. Direct Investment 27 15,561,165 49,222,658 33,661,493 1.1 Overseas 28 -13,306,810 1,177,898 14,484,708 1.2 Domestic 29 28,867,975 48,044,760 19,176,784 2. Portfolio Investment 30 20,184,651 42,542,136 22,357,485 2.1 Assets 31 7,731,758 30,025,343 22,293,585 2.1.1 Equity Securities 32 -850,658 7,277,860 8,128,517 2.1.2 Debt Securities 33 8,582,415 22,747,483 14,165,068 2.1.2.1 Bonds and Notes 34 3,546,925 17,709,179 14,162,254 2.1.2.2 Money Market Instruments 35 5,035,490 5,038,304 2,814 2.2 Liabilities 36 12,452,893 12,516,793 63,900 2.2.1 Equity Securities 37 12,453,094 12,516,120 63,026 2.2.2 Debt Securities 38 -201 673 873 2.2.2.1 Bonds and Notes 39 0 0 0 2.2.2.2 Money Market Instruments 40 -201 673 873 3. Other Investment 41 23,900,406 249,093,358 225,192,952 3.1 Assets 42 29,117,407 70,167,876 41,050,468 3.1.1 Trade Credits 43 -16,307,365 0 16,307,365 Long-term 44 -1,141,516 0 1,141,516 Short-term 45 -15,165,849 0 15,165,849 3.1.2 Loans 46 6,437,006 26,814,013 20,377,007 Long-term 47 -20,214,000 0 20,214,000 Short-term 48 26,651,006 26,814,013 163,007 3.1.3 Currency and Deposits 49 28,968,413 33,278,498 4,310,085 3.1.4 Other Assets 50 10,019,353 10,075,364 56,011 Long-term 51 0 0 0 Short-term 52 10,019,353 10,075,364 56,011 3.2 Liabilities 53 -5,217,001 178,925,483 184,142,484 3.2.1 Trade Credits 54 -6,670,160 0 6,670,160 Long-term 55 -466,911 0 466,911 Short-term 56 -6,203,249 0 6,203,249 3.2.2 Loans 57 -6,083,623 151,047,587 157,131,210 Long-term 58 -8,387,786 5,196,860 13,584,646 Short-term 59 2,304,163 145,850,727 143,546,564 3.2.3 Currency and Deposits 60 4,955,296 24,508,180 19,552,884 3.2.4 Other Liabilities 61 2,581,486 3,369,716 788,230 Long-term 62 -120,472 0 120,472 Short-term 63 2,701,957 3,369,716 667,758 III. Reserves Assets 64 -185,941,174 0 185,941,174 3.1 Monetary Gold 65 0 0 0 3.2 Special Drawing Rights 66 -28,637 0 28,637 3.3 Reserves Position in the Fund 67 -336,537 0 336,537 3.4 Foreign Exchange 68 -185,576,000 0 185,576,000 3.5 Other Claims 69 0 0 0 IV. Net Errors and Omissions 70 -9,513,322 0 9,513,322 * This BOP statement employs rounded-off numbers. 2009-10-15/en/2009/1015/902.html
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The SAFE recently released China's International Investment Position for year-end 2008. The statistics reveal that at the end of 2008, China's external financial assets hit USD 2920.3 billion, up 23 percent over that at the end of 2007; external financial liabilities reached USD 1401.3 billion, a rise of 17 percent year on year; external net financial assets totaled USD 1519 billion, an increase of 31 percent year on year.. Among the external financial assets, direct investments abroad amounted to USD 169.4 billion, portfolio investments were USD 251.9 billion, other investments were USD 532.8 billion, and reserves assets were USD 1966.2 billion, accounting for 6 percent, 9 percent, 18 percent, and 67 percent respectively. In terms of external financial liabilities, foreign direct investments totaled USD 876.3 billion, portfolio investments USD 161.2 billion, and other investments USD 363.7 billion, accounting for 63 percent, 11 percent, and 26 percent respectively. The International Investment Position (hereinafter referred to as the IIP) is a statistical statement which reflects at a specific point the stocks of financial assets and liabilities of one country or region to other countries or regions in the world, and together with the balance of payments statements (BOP statements) it constitutes the complete international accounts system of the country or region to show the trade flows. The SAFE has adjusted its IIP for year-end 2006 and year-end 2007 according to the latest data. China's International Investment Position Unit: USD 100m Items End of 2006 End of 2007 End of 2008 Net Position 6534 11619 15190 A. Assets 16881 23744 29203 1. Direct Investments Abroad 906 1160 1694 2. Portfolio Investment 2652 2846 2519 2.1 Equity Securities 15 196 208 2.2 Debt Securities 2637 2650 2311 3. Other Investment 2515 4265 5328 3.1 Trade Credits 1161 1399 1340 3.2 Loans 670 888 1071 3.3 Currency and Deposits 474 723 1060 3.4 Other Assets 210 1255 1857 4. Reserves Assets 10808 15473 19662 4.1 Monetary Gold 123 170 169 4.2 Special Drawing Rights 11 12 12 4.3 Reserves Position in the Fund 11 8 20 4.4 Foreign Exchange 10663 15282 19460 B. Liabilities 10347 12125 14013 1. Foreign Direct Investments 6144 7037 8763 2. Portfolio Investment 1207 1466 1612 2.1 Equity Securities 1065 1290 1440 2.2 Debt Securities 142 176 172 3. Other Investment 2996 3622 3637 3.1 Trade Credits 1040 1331 1141 3.2 Loans 985 1033 1030 3.3 Currency and Deposits 589 785 910 3.4 Other Liabilities 382 473 557 Note: 1. This IIP employs rounded-off numbers. 2. Net position refers to assets minus liabilities, + means net assets, and -means net liabilities. Compilation Principles and Indexes for the IIP I. Compilation Principles for the IIP In accordance with the standards of the Balance of Payments Manual (Fifth Edition) published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the IIP is a statistical statement which reflects at a specific point the stocks of financial assets and liabilities of one country or region to other countries or regions of the world. Changes in the IIP can be caused by changes in the transactions, prices, and exchange rates, as well as by other adjustments during specific periods. The IIP remains consistent with the BOP statement with regard to the principles of valuation, measurement, and conversion, and together with the BOP statement constitutes a complete international accounts system of the country or region. Chinas IIP is a statistical statement which reflects at a specific point the stocks of the financial assets and liabilities of China (excluding that in Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan Province) to other countries or regions of the world. II. Explanation of the Major IIP Indexes According to the standards of the IMF, the items on the IIP are categorized according to assets and liabilities. The assets are divided into China's direct investments abroad, portfolio investments, other investments, and reserves assets, and the liabilities are divided into foreign direct investments, portfolio investments, and other investments. The net position refers to external assets minus external liabilities. The items are specifically defined as follows: 1. Direct Investment: Refers to external investment in which an investor of one country operates an enterprise located in another country with the aim of acquiring effective control over the enterprise. It consists of direct investment abroad and foreign direct investment. Direct investment abroad includes the stocks of the direct investment abroad conducted by China's non-financial sectors, the stocks of the capital fund and working capital appropriated by domestic banks to set up branches overseas, as well as the stocks of the loans between parent companies and subsidiaries both in China and abroad, and the stocks of other receivables and payables. Foreign direct investment includes the stocks of foreign direct investment absorbed by China's non-financial sectors, the stocks of direct investment overseas absorbed by the financial sectors (including foreign investment attracted by branches of foreign financial sectors and Chinese-funded financial sectors, and investments by the foreign party in joint financial sectors), as well as the stocks of the loans between parent companies and subsidiaries both in China and abroad and the stocks of other receivables and payables. 2. Portfolio Investment: Includes some types of investment such as shares, long- and medium-term bonds, and money-market instruments. Portfolio investment assets refer to holdings of negotiable securities, such as shares, bonds, money-market instruments, and derivative financial instruments, which are held by Chinese residents but issued by non-resident enterprises. Portfolio investment liabilities refer to shares and bonds held by non-resident enterprises but issued by Chinese residents. 2.1 Equity Securities: Comprise securities in the form of stocks. 2.2 Debt Securities: Include long-term and medium-term bonds, short-term (one year or less) bonds, and money-market instruments or transferable debt instruments such as short-term treasury notes, commercial papers, and large-sum short-term negotiable certificates of deposits. 3. Other Investment: Refers to all the financial assets and liabilities, including trade credits, loans, currency, and deposits, as well as other assets and liabilities, but excluding direct investments, portfolio investments, and reserves assets. Long term means that the contract period of the relevant financial assets/liabilities is longer than one year, and short term means that the contract period is one year or less. 3.1 Trade Credits: Refers to the direct business credit arising from the import and export of goods between China and other countries. Assets refer to the receivables of China's exporters and the advance payments by Chinas importers, and liabilities refer to the payables of Chinas importers and the advance receipts of China's exporters. 3.2 Loans: Assets refer to the external assets held by domestic institutions by providing loans and lending to overseas institutions; and liabilities refer to the loans borrowed by domestic institutions, such as loans from foreign governments, loans from international institutions, loans from foreign banks, and sellers credit. 3.3 Currency and Deposits: Assets refer to the funds deposited abroad and the foreign cash in stock held by China's financial institutions; and liabilities refer to the overseas private deposits and short-term funds from foreign banks attracted by China's financial institutions, as well as other short-term funds like loans from foreign exporters and individuals. 3.4 Other Assets/Liabilities: Refer to the investments other than trade credits, loans, currency, and deposits, for example, the capital paid by non-currency international institutions and other receivables and payables. 4. Reserves Assets: Refer to the external assets that can be used at any time and are effectively controlled by the PBOC, consisting of monetary gold, special drawing rights (SDRs), the reserves position in the Fund, and foreign exchange. 4.1 Monetary Gold: Refers to the gold held by the PBOC as reserve. 4.2 Special Drawing Rights: is a type of ledger assets, which is allocated by the IMF according to the capital share of its members; it can be used to repay the debt to the IMF and can make up for the deficit in the balance of payments between the governments of member countries. 4.3 Reserves Position in the Fund: Refer to the assets that are in the ordinary accounts of the IMF and that can be used freely. 4.4 Foreign Exchange: Refers to the current assets and liabilities that are retained by the PBOC and that can be used as a means of international compensation. (End) 2009-06-02/en/2009/0602/890.html
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Recently the People's Bank of China released data on the state's foreign exchange reserves as of the end of 2009. According to some analyses, in 2009 China witnessed an increase of USD453.1 billion in its foreign exchange reserves. Deducting the trade surplus of USD196.07 billion and the actually utilized foreign capital of USD90.03 billion during the same period, there is a balance of USD167 billion, which is regarded as unaccountable, that is, an inflow of hot money.A reporter interviewed a relevant official of the SAFE on this issue. Q: How do regard the estimation method for the newly-increased foreign exchange reserves minus the trade surplus and minus the actually utilized foreign capital equals hot money,which is presently widely used by the general public? A: We appreciate the analyses from the general public on the operating conditions of the balance of payments from different perspectives, as well as their suggestions on our work on foreign exchange administration. To be frank, the above estimation method is unscientific, thus the conclusion is misleading. With regard to the newly- increased balance of foreign exchange reserves, analysts should not only emphasize factors such as foreign trade conditions, foreign direct investment, and so forth, but also should take into consideration the conditions for cross-border fund flows for trade in service, individuals, external debts, and securities investment as well as the investment income of the foreign exchange reserves, currency conversion, and other factors. A simple deduction of the trade surplus and the actually utilized foreign exchange will not account for the so-called unaccountable reserves, let alone the inappropriate label of hot money. Q: Can you describe in detail how the newly-increased foreign exchange reserves should be analyzed by taking into account the investment income and currency conversion? A: We have noted that some media have taken into consideration the investment income and income from currency conversion to analyze the newly-increased foreign exchange reserves. As per the relevant requirements of the foreign exchange administration, for the time being we cannot disclose the specific data on the investment income and currency conversion. Nevertheless, selection of the relevant data can be used as a reference. For example, according to the changes in the exchange rate index of the USD against other major currencies which is compiled by the FED, the exchange rate of the USD depreciated by 8.5% in 2009. As shown in the data on the structure of global reserves released by the IMF, the non-dollar reserve assets account for nearly 40% of the total reserve assets. Hence, the appreciation of non-dollar assets against the USD in 2009 will inevitably lead to an increase in the balance of foreign exchange reserves in USD (income from currency conversion). As another instance, by use of the frequently-adopted Barclays Return Rate of the Global Bond Integrated Index, the annual average return rate from 2005 to 2009 was 4.8%. Based on that, the aggregate investment income from a certain amount of the balance of reserves for various years can be calculated, i.e., to what extent investment income contributed to the increase in the foreign exchange reserves. Although these analyses are only for reference, they will help prevent significant omissions in the selection of analytical methods, thus their conclusions will be more convincing. Q: Could the increase in foreign exchange reserves in 2009 be better explained, if investment income and currency conversion are taken into consideration? A: With regard to our data, the argument that the increase in foreign exchange reserves in 2009 is unaccountable is unreasonable. Q: Some argue that there will be increasing inflows of short-term speculative funds into China in 2010. How do you regard that? A: With the stable growth of the national economy and the constant decline in the USD interest rate in the past months, those entities involved in foreign exchange businesses (banks, enterprises, individuals, and so forth) are more likely to transfer their overseas assets back to China and to make settlements. Meanwhile, it is possible that some overseas speculative and arbitrage funds will flow into China by means of distribution and infiltration through such channels as trade, individual investment, foreign investment, and so forth. Currently, China maintains a certain level of control over capital accounts. Based on the premise to promote the facilitation of trade and investment, we will continue to intensify efforts to crack down on illegal flows of cross-border funds. Q: What about the progress and achievements in cracking down on illegal flows of cross-border funds during the past year? A: In 2009, by taking full advantage of the United Office for Cracking Down on Criminal Activities of Illegal Foreign Exchange Transactions and closely teaming up with the public security departments, we launched a series of campaigns to crack down on major cases of illegal flows of funds, such as underground money shops, online foreign exchange speculation, and so forth The SAFE uncovered 10 cases of underground money shops, 6 cases of online illegal foreign exchange speculation, and 11 cases of illegal trading of foreign exchange, and discovered more than 61 nests for illegal foreign exchange transactions, involving a total amount of USD3.54 billion. Q: What measures will the foreign exchange administration departments adopt to prevent the inflow of speculative and arbitrage funds in 2010? A: To prevent the inflow of speculative and arbitrage funds, which may affect the stability of the national economy and finance, we will take the following measures: (1) strengthening the construction of the statistical system for the balance of payments, establishing and improving monitoring, an early-warning system, and an emergency plan for the inflows and outflows of cross-border funds; (2) strengthening the administration of cross-border capital flows, continuing to crack down on illegal inflows of funds, and taking appropriate measures to control the channels for the excessive inflow of capital; (3) further promoting the convertibility of the capital accounts, broadening the channels for capital outflows, and facilitating the holding and use of foreign exchange by domestic institutions and individuals; and (4) taking comprehensive and effective measures to promote an equilibrium in the balance of payments by complying with the unified planning of the Central Government. 2010-01-19/en/2010/0119/918.html
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For the purpose of enhancing the timeliness of the release of the data of the balance of payments statement, the SAFE recently released preliminary data of China's Balance of Payments statement for the first half of 2009. The current account and the capital and financial account posted a "twin surplus" in the first half of 2009, and international reserves maintained a growing momentum. In the first half of 2009, China's surplus under the current account totaled USD 130 billion, a decrease of 32% year on year. Specifically, according to the statistical coverage of the balance of payments, the surpluses under the trade in goods, income, and current transfers reached USD 118.3 billion, USD 16 billion, and USD 14.3 billion respectively, whereas the deficit in services amounted to USD 18.6 billion. Meanwhile, China's surplus under the capital and financial account totaled USD 33.1 billion, a drop of 54% year on year. In particular, the net inflows of direct investments and portfolio investments amounted to USD 20.6 billion and USD 16.9 billion respectively, whereas the net outflows of other investments reached USD 5.6 billion. Furthermore, China's international reserves continued to grow. At the end of the first half of 2009, China registered a total of USD 2131.6 billion in foreign exchange reserves, an increase of USD 185.6 billion over that at the end of 2008. The SAFE will formally release China's Balance of Payments Statement for the first half of 2009 during the September-October period. (End). Balance of Payments*(Preliminary Data) First Half of 2009 US dollars (thousands) Items Line Balance I. Current Account 1 129,985,896 A. Goods and Services 2 99,695,010 a. Goods 3 118,332,904 Credit 4 521,698,519 Debit 5 403,365,615 b. Services 6 -18,637,895 B. Income 7 15,953,349 C. Current Transfers 8 14,337,537 II. Capital and Financial Account 9 33,141,071 A. Capital Account 10 1,253,915 B. Financial Account 11 31,887,156 1. Direct Investment 12 20,572,107 2. Portfolio Investment 13 16,924,372 3. Other Investment 14 -5,609,323 III. Reserves Assets 15 -185,941,174 3.1 Monetary Gold 16 0 3.2 Special Drawing Rights 17 -28,637 3.3 Reserves Position in the Fund 18 -336,537 3.4 Foreign Exchange 19 -185,576,000 3.5 Other Claims 20 0 IV. Net Errors and Omissions 21 22,814,207 2009-09-02/en/2009/0902/898.html
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The State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) recently released on its official Web site (www.safe.gov.cn) foreign exchange statistical time-series data, marking the first time the administration has systematically arranged and disclosed such data. During recent years, in order to satisfy the increasing needs of foreign-related business development, the SAFE has worked out a series of foreign exchange statistical statements, such as China's Balance of Payments Statement, Chinas International Investment Position, the scale of foreign exchange reserves, the balance and structure of the external debt, and so forth, in line with international universal indicators and relevant technical standards, which are conducive to analyzing foreign-related economic situations and monitoring cross-border capital flows. Furthermore, the foreign exchange statistical data has received growing attention from the general public. In order to make better use of foreign exchange statistical data, facilitate the general publics comprehension, analysis, and use of the information, and to enhance the comprehensiveness, systematic nature, and transparency of these data, the SAFE has arranged and released eleven categories of data that were made public during the period from 1985 to 2009, including China's Balance of Payments Statement, China's International Investment Position, the scale of foreign exchange reserves, the conversion rates of various currencies against the USD, the mid-price of the RMB exchange rate, the balance and structure of the external debt, the structure and growth of China's long- and short-term external debt, China's external debt, the national economy and exchange revenue, examination and approval of the investment quota for QDII and QFII, and so forth. The corresponding explanations of the indicators and intervals for their release have also been publicized. After their release, the SAFE will regularly update the relevant statistical data and constantly improve its disclosure system for statistical information. 2009-12-23/en/2009/1223/912.html
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At the end of September 2009, China's outstanding external debt (excluding that of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan Province) reached USD 386.772 billion, an increase of USD 12.111 billion, or 3.23 percent compared with that at the end of 2008. Specifically, the outstanding long- and medium-term external debt (with the remaining term) reached USD 164.793 billion, an increase of USD 917 million, or 0.56 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 42.61 percent of the total outstanding external debt. The outstanding short-term external debt (with the remaining term) totaled USD 221.979 billion, an increase of USD 11.194 billion, or 5.31 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 57.39 percent of the total outstanding external debt. In terms of China's outstanding short-term external debt, the balance of trade credit was USD 132.5 billion. The outstanding registered short-term external debt (with the remaining term) was USD 89.479 billion, accounting for 40.31 percent of the outstanding short-term external debt and 23.13 percent of the total outstanding external debt. Included in the outstanding registered external debt of USD 254.272 billion, the outstanding sovereign debt borrowed by ministries under the State Council totaled USD 35.232 billion, accounting for 13.86 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded financial institutions was USD 87.018 billion, accounting for 34.22 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded enterprises was USD 92.262 billion, accounting for 36.28 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded financial institutions in China was USD 35.154 billion, accounting for 13.83 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded enterprises was USD 4.281 billion, accounting for 1.68 percent; and the outstanding debt of other institutions was USD 325 million, accounting for 0.13 percent. From January to September 2009, long- and medium-term external borrowing totaled USD 13.845 billion, a decrease of USD 13.535 billion, or 49.43 percent compared with that in the same period of the last year. Repayment of principal was USD 25.959 billion, an increase of USD 12.175 billion, or 88.33 percent, over that during the same period of the last year. Interest payments for long- and medium-term external debt totaled USD 2.563 billion, a decrease of USD 393 million, or 13.29 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. 2010-01-06/en/2010/0106/915.html
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At the end of March 2009, China's outstanding external debt (excluding that of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan Province) reached USD 336.721 billion, a decrease of USD 37.94 billion or 10.13 percent compared with that at the end of 2008. Specifically, the outstanding long- and medium-term external debt (with the remaining term) reached USD 163.253 billion, a decrease of USD 623 million or 0.38 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 48.48 percent of the total outstanding external debt. The outstanding short-term external debt (with the remaining term) totaled USD 173.468 billion, a decrease of USD 37.317 billion or 17.7 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 51.52 percent of the total outstanding external debt. Among the outstanding registered external debt of USD 252.621 billion, the outstanding sovereign debt borrowed by ministries under the State Council totaled USD 33.215 billion, accounting for 13.15 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded financial institutions was USD 78.699 billion, accounting for 31.15 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded enterprises was USD 96.084 billion, accounting for 38.04 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded financial institutions in China was USD 39.864 billion, accounting for 15.78 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded enterprises was USD 4.427 billion, accounting for 1.75 percent; and the outstanding debt of other institutions was USD 332 million, accounting for 0.13 percent. From January to March 2009, long- and medium-term external borrowing was USD 3.804 billion, a decrease of USD 3.944 billion or 50.90 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. The repayment of the principal was USD 6.652 billion, an increase of USD 2.057 billion or 44.77 percent over that during the same period of the last year. The interest payment for the long- and medium-term external debt was USD 805 million, a decrease of USD 301 million or 27.22 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. (End) 2009-07-01/en/2009/0701/893.html
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At the end of June 2009, China's outstanding external debt (excluding that of Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan Province) reached USD 360.579 billion, a decrease of USD 14.082 billion, or 3.76 percent compared with that at the end of 2008. Specifically, the outstanding long- and medium-term external debt (with the remaining term) reached USD 166.214 billion, an increase of USD 2.338 billion, or 1.43 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 46.10 percent of the total outstanding external debt. The outstanding short-term external debt (with the remaining term) totaled USD 194.365 billion, a decrease of USD 16.42 billion, or 7.79 percent compared with that at the end of 2008, accounting for 53.90 percent of the total outstanding external debt. Of the outstanding registered external debt of USD 251.079 billion, the outstanding sovereign debt borrowed by ministries under the State Council totaled USD 34.535 billion, accounting for 13.75 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded financial institutions was USD 83.003 billion, accounting for 33.06 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded enterprises was USD 94.346 billion, accounting for 37.58 percent; the outstanding debt of foreign-funded financial institutions in China was USD 34.509 billion, accounting for 13.74 percent; the outstanding debt of Chinese-funded enterprises was USD 4.357 billion, accounting for 1.74 percent; and the outstanding debt of other institutions was USD 329 million, accounting for 0.13 percent. From January to June 2009, long- and medium-term external borrowing totaled USD 9.333 billion, a decrease of USD 10.172 billion, or 52.15 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. Principal repayments totaled USD 19.472 billion, an increase of USD 10.699 billion, or 121.95 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. Interest payments for the long- and medium-term debt amounted to USD 2.084 billion, an increase of USD 166 million, or 8.65 percent compared with that during the same period of the last year. 2009-10-13/en/2009/1013/901.html