The PBoC s progress report on renminbi internationalization

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1 Mizuho Securities Asia Ltd Economics Research 17 Jun 2015 The PBoC s progress report on renminbi internationalization Jianguang Shen jianguang.shen@hk.mizuho-sc.com Michael Luk michael.luk@hk.mizuho-sc.com The PBoC released a report to highlight the achievements made in renminbi internationalization since While progress is being made in line with our expectations since 2011, the PBoC has now turned its focus on the next step. According to Yi Gang, a PBoC vice governor, the central bank has turned its attention specifically on: 1) the management of cross-border capital flows after the liberalization of the capital account; and 2) the positioning of China in international financial markets, whereby the renminbi will become a global reserve currency. Notable progress in renminbi convertibility Renminbi internationalization near completion The PBoC released a report on the progress made on renminbi internationalization, addressing Governor Zhou Xiaochuan s pledge to complete China s basic capital account convertibility in 2015 (see China Development Forum takeaways (1): the renminbi as a new reserve currency, 24 March). The report highlighted the many successes made in the less than seven years since 23 March 2009, when Governor Zhou Xiaochuan released a statement calling for reform of the international monetary system, and specifically on the role of the US dollar as the only dominant world currency. That statement came as a timely response amid the global financial crisis, when China, along with other significant holders of dollar assets, was deeply concerned about the value of the USD and the destabilizing impact of the US recession. Since then, the Chinese government has been seeking to fully capture the opportunity presented to the renminbi to become a new international reserve currency. Cross-border transactions have climbed since 2009 Several significant milestones have since been achieved by the PBoC in seven short years. Since a trial program of cross-border renminbi settlement for merchandise trade began in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Dongguan in July 2009, most restrictions on current accounts have been removed, allowing merchandise and service account settlement to occur throughout the country. Multinational companies and banks are also encouraged to carry out cross-border transactions in renminbi. As of end-2014, the renminbi has become the world s second-largest traded financing currency, the fifth-largest trade-settlement currency and the sixth-largest trade-transaction currency. The use of renminbi in direct investment transactions has also gained popularity since January 2011, when domestic investors were allowed to use the renminbi for overseas direct investment (ODI). This was followed by the beginning of renminbi inbound FDI in October In 2014, ODI denominated in CNY amounted to CNY186.6b, %YoY from 2013, which is roughly 26.2% of China s total ODI in Similarly, inbound direct investment denominated in CNY rose 92.4% YoY in 2014 to CNY862.0b. Porous cross-border capital flows due to regulatory progress Cross-border renminbi portfolio investment has also made significant progress since October 2011, when the PBoC began to allow renminbi lending outside of China. According to the Bank of International Settlement (BIS), the amount of international bonds denominated in renminbi has increased to CNY535.1b, including CNY530.5b in dim sum bonds offered in offshore markets and CNY4.6b in panda bonds offered in the onshore market by foreign issuers. See important analyst certification and disclosure information beginning on page 5.

2 On December 2011, the RQFII was launched to provide offshore renminbi an important channel for capital repatriation in the search for investment opportunities. In November 2014, the RQDII announced that qualified domestic investors could use onshore renminbi to invest in offshore markets. These measures have effectively connected the offshore and onshore renminbi markets, an important step in the internationalization of the renminbi. The Shanghai-Hong Kong stock connect scheme, followed by another connect scheme between the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock markets in 2015, are also new channels allowing investors to cross borders. As a result, as of end-april 2015, CNY4.4t in onshore renminbi assets are now held by nonresidents, including CNY644.4b in equity, CNY735.2b in bonds, CNY873.9b in loans by foreign lenders to Chinese borrowers, as well as CNY2.15t in onshore deposit. As of end- 2014, we estimate that there is at least CNY1.99t in renminbi deposits in offshore centres such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Luxemburg. The PBoC estimates that around 25% of all cross-border transactions were carried out in renminbi in New settlement system to increase market participation To facilitate future development, in April 2015, the PBoC also announced a new international settlement system for renminbi called CIPS. So far, about 80% of cross-border renminbi transactions are cleared through 14 Chinese clearing banks in offshore centres, most of which is handled by the Bank of China Hong Kong, and the rest through correspondent banks on the mainland. The new system, which will be located in Shanghai, will allow foreign banks the same footing to gain a portion of the renminbi clearing business. Capital flow management after liberalization The government as a gatekeeper as the market decides on the role of the renminbi In April 2015, Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said at the annual IMF meeting that the objective of renminbi internationalization is not to give up all control of the renminbi. As an approach increasingly endorsed by the IMF, Governor Zhou said that China s objective is to create a convertibility system with capital-flow management measures. Under this framework, the PBoC pledged to create a favourable regulatory framework to facilitate the free flow of renminbi across the border, while protecting China s economy from the risk of volatile capital flows. More importantly, the PBoC s goal is to create a fertile ground for renminbi use and eventually let the market decide on the currency s popularity. As such, Vice Governor Yi Gang explained in a speech to the Shanghai Development Research Foundation in May that while the renminbi s inclusion in the SDR (special drawing rights) and the inclusion of A-shares in the MSCI are both inevitable, the government is not overly concerned about the time frame. A new stage in renminbi internationalization after basic convertibility Generally speaking, China s capital account has already become partially convertible according to the IMF s definition. Of the 40 summary features in the annual Exchange Arrangements and Regulatory Frameworks for current and capital transactions, China has been at least partly convertible in most items since 2011 (see RMB s roadmap towards full convertibility, 7 April 2011). Further progress is in the pipeline. For example, foreign enterprises operating in China can obtain loans from abroad. The government will strive to make the system equitable, allowing domestic enterprises to also borrow abroad where the cost of capital may be lower. From a macro-prudential management perspective, however, the government expects to maintain a total quota on foreign debt to avoid accumulating currency risk, according to Yi Gang. Matching the requirements of other currencies, China will also strengthen control measures against money laundering, terrorism and tax evasion. The regulatory infrastructure may be built upon the existing monitoring system of cross-border capital flow. 2

3 No incentive to intervene in the exchange rate Governor Yi Gang also noted that the PBoC has no incentive to intervene in the renminbi exchange rate. While the renminbi has remained around CNY /USD since 2015, this is mainly due to: 1) the historical trade surplus; 2) capital outflows; 3) the market s expectation for the USD; 4) underlying economic conditions; and 4) recent expectations about the performance of the renminbi. The cuts in the required reserve ratio (RRR) have also been effective in dampening the impact of capital flows. Indeed, the change in the direction of cross-border capital flows reflects a change in money creation in China to open market operations from the increasing position of FX purchases and adjusting the RRR. As the government has accumulated substantial holdings of government bonds in the past, along with maintaining a high RRR ratio, the change represents a normalization of monetary policy due to the country s significant FX reserves. Going forward, it also suggests that the PBoC possesses sufficient tools to protect China against short-term volatility of capital flows. Enhancing the role of China in international financial markets Following its achievements in renminbi internationalization, the government is also focusing on China s future role in international financial markets. This suggests that our observations in 2011 about the possibility of the renminbi achieving basic convertibility in 2015 have indeed materialized. As a next step, we expect the government to continue promoting China s role and the renminbi, such that the renminbi will eventually become a global reserve currency (see RMB internationalization and China s economic transformation, 21 November 2011). This year, China announced the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the BRICS bank and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Development Bank. It also launched the renminbi bond market in London, the renminbi crude-oil settlement market with Russia and the International Board of the Shanghai Gold Exchange. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) continues to pioneer the experiment towards full capitalaccount convertibility. As Zhang Xin, head of the PBoC Shanghai branch noted, the PBoC is in the process of designing the infrastructure for further capital account opening in the Shanghai FTZ. Over time, the government plans to reduce the administrative requirements while increasing transparency in the market. Generally, one objective of capital-account convertibility is to reduce the cost of cross-border transactions. For China to fully capture the benefit of renminbi internationalization, however, we believe structural reforms in the real economy must also be accelerated. Such reforms include: 1) emerging as an economy more driven by domestic rather than external demand; 2) engaging in production upgrades, innovation and service-sector development to increase the value-added of the economy; 3) becoming more outward-facing in terms of investment, following the New Silk Road initiative; and 4) further reducing the red tape associated with the financial market and increasing investment transparency. 3

4 4 Economics Research Fig 1 RMB s roadmap towards convertibility and a global currency Year Capital account liberalization ODI RMB settlement; Expansion of QDII, QFII and R-QFII; Open HK-linked ETF ODI surges; Further expansion of QDII, QFII and R-QFII; Shanghai Intl. Board ODI and overseas portfolio liberalized; Shanghai opens up as onshore centre Inward investment mostly liberalized; Foreign debt market partially opens Basic convertibility Capital account liberalized with some remaining restriction on short-term debt RMB to become a global reserve currency, around 10% of SDR basket Offshore RMB market New offshore centre in London; RMB settlement with ASEAN More HK shares issued in RMB; A Euro-yuan market in London More offshore financial centers created, as Singapore, NYC, Taipei. All offshore centers with wide diversity of RMB products Wider circulation of RMB abroad RMB exchange rate flexibility Foreign exchange restrictions loosened; Appreciate against USD by 6% Further appreciation against USD by 4% Wider fluctuation in RMB exchange rate under a shifting band. RMB around CNY5-6 per dollar, more foreign participants in RMB forex market RMB to become free floating currency Interest rate liberalization Off-balance sheet lending and more structural wealth products Trials for deposit rate liberalization; SHIBOR market depth deepens PBOC to widen the scope in deposit and lending rate formation, and lending rate will be liberalized Deposit rate to become completely liberalized Source: Mizuho research

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