China central bank chief:  Fall in FX reserves normal

This article is more than 12 months old

Mar 11, 2017 06:00 am

BEIJING: Falls in China's foreign exchange reserves are normal and not unfavourable, the country's central bank governor said yesterday.

China's foreign currency reserves, the world's largest, had declined for seven straight months through January, before a small increase in February, as the central bank intervened to support a weakening yuan.

The country will not overreact to a decline in the forex reserves, said People's Bank of China head Zhou Xiaochuan on the sidelines of the annual parliament session in Beijing.

Mr Zhou also said cross-border capital flows will be generally balanced in the future, adding that it is necessary to have policy guidance on outbound investment.

China has faced persistent capital outflows as expectations remain for the yuan to weaken, leading companies and individuals to move money out of the country.

A fixed exchange rate is not favourable for structural adjustment, Mr Zhou said yesterday. - REUTERS