Bank denies yuan revaluation next week
(CRI/AP)
Updated: 2005-04-30 14:54

China does not plan to revalue its currency, the yuan, during next week's Labor Day holiday, a central bank spokesman said Friday, quashing rumors that such a change was imminent.

"As far as we know, there's no adjustment expected in the yuan exchange rate," said Bai Li, spokesman for the People's Bank of China.

A brief wave of speculation over a possible shift in currency policy roiled regional share and currency markets Friday. Such rumors have been circulating in the past week, despite official denials that major changes were pending.

A key measure of expectations for the yuan's future value, discounts on dollar/yuan non-deliverable forwards (NDF), widened sharply to 4800/4200 from 4300/4150 Friday morning amid revived speculation over a possible revaluation. The NDF discount rate does not affect the yuan's actual value.

Bai declined to comment on the movement, saying: "It's up to the market to explain any market activities."

Authorities sometimes choose to announce policy changes during public holidays, and China's financial markets will be closed next week for the national holiday.

China limits trading in the yuan and has kept its value in a narrow range near 8.28 yuan per dollar since 1994. The United States and other nations say the yuan is undervalued, giving China's exporters an unfair price advantage.

Beijing says it will eventually let the yuan trade freely on world markets, but that doing so immediately would damage the country's frail banks and financial industries.

Close