by winston » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:32 pm
China’s Currency: The Ripple Effect
If the yuan heads lower, other Asian currencies will follow. We already know that the Japanese want to cheapen the yen in order to boost economic growth. But other currencies like the Singapore dollar are also likely to follow despite Singapore’s image as a strong currency state. Singapore’s banking system grew tremendously over the past five or six years but is now shrinking.
The same thing is starting to happen in Hong Kong. When China’s economy began to weaken, money flooded out of China into Hong Kong, which depressed interest rates in Hong Kong. But recently money has been leaving Hong Kong, which has pushed interest rates higher there. If rates rise in Hong Kong, it will hurt the stock market and its inflated real estate market. Hong Kong has significant geopolitical implications due to its complex relationship with China, so it is important to keep an eye on the former British colony. Problems in Hong Kong could have serious destabilizing effects on global markets.
The Hong Kong dollar, which is pegged to the U.S. dollar, is also being called into question. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has said it will defend the Hong Kong dollar but it will be increasingly difficult to do so. Both Singapore and Hong Kong are at risk of banking crises as a result of what is happening in China.
And from there, the ripples extend even further outward…
Source: Sure Money
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