China's yuan hits 15-year low after Xi extends rule

China's yuan hits 15-year low after Xi extends rule

The yuan has been hit as the Federal Reserve ramps up interest rates, sending investors piling into the dollar
The yuan has been hit as the Federal Reserve ramps up interest rates, sending investors piling into the dollar. Photo: NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!

China's yuan hit a 15-year low against the US dollar on Tuesday, with investors spooked after President Xi Jinping gained complete dominance over the Communist Party at a key meeting last week.

The onshore yuan fell as much as 0.6 percent to 7.3084 per dollar, its weakest level since December 2007 and close to the lower limit of the trading band set by the central bank on Tuesday.

The offshore yuan -- which is circulated outside mainland China and is more freely traded than currency in the domestic market -- fell to 7.3735 against the dollar, the weakest since clearing banks in Hong Kong were given the go-ahead to open renminbi accounts freely in 2010.

China's currency has taken a hit, along with other major currencies, as the Federal Reserve's hawkish tone sends investors piling into the dollar.

Read also

Most Asia markets rise on Fed bets as Hong Kong, Shanghai struggle

The announcement over the weekend that Xi had secured a third term as party leader, stacking leadership positions with proteges and allies, raised fears among investors that Chinese authorities would continue zero-Covid lockdowns and other policies that have hammered the economy.

The yuan, along with Hong Kong-listed Chinese stocks plummeted on Monday, despite the announcement of better-than-expected growth in the third quarter the same day.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!

One of the most pressing concerns is Xi's zero-Covid policy, which continues to put tens of millions of people under rolling lockdowns that also shutter factories.

China is the last of the world's major economies to hew to the strategy, with Xi insisting in his speech to mark the end of the Chinese Communist Party Congress on Saturday that the country's Covid response has been a success.

Read also

Most Asian markets up on rate hopes but China fear casts shadow

China is also battling an unprecedented crisis in its real estate sector -- which makes up more than a quarter of the country's GDP when combined with construction.

Following years of explosive growth fuelled by easy access to loans, Xi oversaw a crackdown on excessive debt.

Property sales are now falling across the country, leaving many developers struggling and some owners refusing to pay their mortgages for unfinished homes.

But Yuting Shao, a strategist at State Street Global Markets, told Bloomberg News "the market reaction is a little bit overblown".

"You still have to wait for more policy detail plans in the future," she said.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.