Japan and China to start direct currency trading
JAPAN: Japan said Tuesday it will start direct currency trading with
China for the first time, scrapping the dollar as an intermediary unit
to boost ties between the two Asian economic giants. The move, which
will boost trade and investment between the traditional rivals, marks
the first time Beijing has allowed a major currency other than the
greenback to trade directly with the yuan.
“From June 1, the yen-yuan exchange rate will be constantly indicated
in both markets, facilitating full-fledged direct exchange trading,”
Japan's Finance Minister Jun Azumi told a regular press briefing.
By not using the dollar as an intermediate currency “we can lower
transaction costs and reduce settlement risks at financial institutions
as well as making both nations' currencies more useful”, he added.
The announcement also comes as China introduces measures as part of a
long-term goal of internationalising its currency to rival the dollar.
Beijing described Tuesday's move as an “important step” in
“strengthening cooperation between China and Japan in developing
financial markets and mutually promoting direct trading between the two
currencies based on market principle.” “The People's Bank of China
actively supports (the move),” said a statement issued by the China
Foreign Exchange Trade System, the central bank's forex arm.
AFP
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