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Currencies

Currencies
Currency market action focused on developments with the Chinese yuan and the Hong Kong dollar.
China has been promoting its own cross-border payment system as it seeks to hedge against potential weaponisation of the US financial system. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

How China opened the door to creating a direct rival to US payment systems

Beijing has removed several key restrictions on its payment system, allowing it to expand beyond yuan settlements, economist says.

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Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

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Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Fears over Exchange Fund discipline overblown: Hong Kong’s dollar peg architect

Yuan

Beijing vows yuan stability, fires back at currency-depreciation claims

PBOC governor reaffirms yuan stability, refuting trade partners’ accusations ahead of critical US talks in Paris.

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A woman walks by an exchange shop decorated with banknotes. There has been mounting pressure from China’s trade partners to allow the yuan to strengthen. Photo: Felix Wong
Yuan

As the yuan sizzles, China’s central bank deploys double-barrelled policy tweak

Regulators refine cross-border rules and cut the foreign exchange risk reserve ratio for forward forex sales to zero, aiming to provide stable offshore liquidity and help firms manage risks.

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United States

Macroscope | Normalisation of Trump’s chaos can only go so far

Markets assuming Trump will chicken out and downplaying risks contribute to the normalisation of the US president’s chaotic behaviour.

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China manufacturing

A boat in every dock? Chinese billionaire unveils plan for mass yacht production

JD.com founder Richard Liu has launched a nautical brand with a massive investment in yacht production, aiming to make ownership affordable.

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Richard Liu’s brand, Sea Expandary, signed a strategic framework agreement on Tuesday with the coastal cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in Guangdong, China’s southern powerhouse province, for a high-end yacht industrial base with planned investment of about 5 billion yuan (US$723 million), according to social media posts by the city governments. Photo: Handout
Brics

Why Brics can’t do away with US dollar even as currency cooperation rises

Brazil says there has been no proposal or talks within Brics to create a common currency across the bloc.

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Banking & finance

Why China’s rise as a ‘financial superpower’ could depend on Hong Kong

From the yuan’s growth as a global currency to IPO funding to tokenisation, the city is a linchpin in Beijing’s ambitions.

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Hong Kong budget 2026-27

Hong Kong budget 2026-27: should the coming blueprint boost yuan’s global push?

Experts say Hong Kong has ‘distinct advantages’ that can support the country’s financial development amid geopolitical uncertainties.

Given mainland China’s current capital controls, the internationalisation of the yuan has largely proceeded through offshore markets. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Macroscope | US dollar weakness is no game changer for a globalised yuan

Beijing will seize on the crisis to promote the yuan, but without capital account liberalisation – essential for a truly global currency – its rise will remain limited.

An employee of a bank counts US dollar notes at a branch in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2016. The prospect of a prolonged dollar bear market has major implications for the global economy and markets. Photo: Reuters
China-Africa relations

As China seeks to globalise the yuan, it finds a new vehicle in Africa

Africa Finance Corporation executive says entering Chinese capital markets is a ‘natural evolution’.

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Banking & finance

China lets yuan rise to strongest level in years as de-dollarisation trend grows

China’s central bank sets the yuan’s midpoint rate at its strongest level since mid-2023, as jitters over the US dollar buoy the Chinese currency.

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Cryptocurrency

Scams and outflows: why China slammed the door on real-world asset tokens

Beijing’s clampdown aims to help safeguard financial security and monetary sovereignty while leaving room for regulated fintech innovation in Hong Kong.

Stablecoins represent the most widely adopted use case for real-world assets on blockchains. Photo: Shutterstock
China trade

UK, China boost financial ties, deepen London’s role as offshore yuan hub

New pact designates a new yuan clearing bank, boosts cross-listings and expands green finance, accelerating the international use of China’s currency.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai, China, last Friday. Photo: Reuters
US-China trade war

US Treasury chief warns of China’s push for digital asset dominance

Scott Bessent tells senators the US must pass the Clarity Act to counter Hong Kong’s ‘sandbox’ and maintain global financial leadership.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Are Hong Kong foreign exchange firms secure enough?

After a shocking 51 million yen robbery last week, the South China Morning Post examines the risks in the city’s cash exchange trade.

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Yuan

Editorial | China well placed to take advantage of the shift away from the US dollar

A stable and strong yuan has international appeal, just as a reliable and strong China is being seen as the rock on which the global system should be rebuilt.

President Xi Jinping has spelled out his vision for the renminbi as a “powerful currency” with a global reserve status while being widely used in world trade, investment and foreign exchange. Photo: EPA-EFE
Banking & finance

Letters | As US dollar weakens, time to rethink Hong Kong dollar peg?

Readers discuss the dollar peg amid geopolitical volatility, an AI proposal for student well-being, public reactions to bus seat belts, and the viability of the cinema industry.

Yuan

China is on a ‘strong currency’ mission to make the yuan a global reserve: Xi

Xi Jinping says the goal of becoming an international powerhouse is a long-term one and will rest on core foundations.

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Japan

Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

A lower house election victory would give flight to Prime Minister Takaichi’s fiscal expansionism – and introduce upheaval far beyond Japan.

Japan’s 10-year government bond yield, seen on a screen outside a brokerage in Tokyo on January 21, touched its highest in a century this month. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong cannot take its Exchange Fund’s stellar year for granted

The fund posted a record gain last year, boosting the Hong Kong government’s fiscal health, but global headwinds must be heeded.

Purple tabebuia in full bloom at Tamar Park in Admiralty with International Financial Centre, which houses the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, in the background, on December 29, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | No better time for Hong Kong to strike its golden deal with Shanghai

Hong Kong’s ambitions to be a global hub for the trading and storage of the safe-haven asset get a lift from the spectacular gold rally.

Commodities

Runaway gold: why even Wall Street can’t keep up with the metal’s record ascent

Some Chinese funds halt subscriptions as uncertainty fuels volatility in the metals market, while Hong Kong’s first gold exchange-traded fund surges on its debut.

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Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong’s Exchange Fund reports record earnings in 2025

The Exchange Fund’s full-year earnings jumped 51 per cent to HK$331 billion (US$42 billion), from HK$218.8 billion in 2024.

The Exchange Fund, Hong Kong’s war chest to defend the local currency, posted stellar returns last year. Photo: Antony Dickson
Banking & finance

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Malaysia

As Malaysian ringgit strengthens, Singapore shoppers in Johor reap less savings

The ringgit’s appreciation is also bad news for Malaysian export-oriented sectors, such as gloves and electronics, analysts say.

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Interest rates

Spiking yen fuels risk-averse mood as investors take defensive stance

Yen hits two-month high amid fears US and Japan will intervene to prop up the currency ahead of Japan’s election next month.

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