Financial Sector Reform in China

Michael Thorpe

No 502, CERT Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot Watt University

Abstract: China currently maintains an exchange rate fixed against the US dollar and a (relatively) closed capital account, while exercising an independent, controlled interest rate environment. Domestic and international pressures have been mounting for the Chinese government to re-adjust the currency peg or allow more flexibility in the exchange rate and to free up the capital account to foster greater integration with global markets. Given the need for developing a more mature financial system to meet the needs of a growing market economy and with unrestricted foreign bank entry in 2007, there is also a need for less regulated and more market driven interest rates. To the extent that authorities seek to maintain exchange rate stability while easing capital controls, they must forsake monetary independence. This is the so-called macroeconomic policy "trilemma" constraining macroeconomic policy makers generally. The need for continuing reform of China's currently fragile domestic banking system further influences the nature and timing of policy options. This paper reviews recent macroeconomic management performance in China and assesses the options facing policy makers for reform of the financial system given the current environment and subject to the constraint of existing institutional arrangements.

Keywords: China; banking; financial repression; exchange rate; capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G2 O16 E44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-fin, nep-fmk, nep-ifn, nep-mac, nep-sea and nep-tra
Date: 2005
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations Track citations by RSS feed

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sml.hw.ac.uk/downloads/cert/wpa/2005/dp0501.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hwe:certdp:0502

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in CERT Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot Watt University
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Professor Mark Schaffer ().