10/10/2015 - Financial Repression In China: Capital Controls

Article highlights new financial repression measures by China – annual limitations on cash withdrawals outside China on China UnionPay bank cards ..  Cardholders, under the new rules, may withdraw a maximum 50,000 yuan ($7,854) in the last three months of this year & a maximum 100,000 yuan next year .. “The new rules could be the first in a series of measures leading to draconian prohibitions of transfers of money from China. Draconian prohibitions, in turn, could spark a global panic.” .. the article says the global financial community has been focusing on the wrong crisis in China – “Beijing’s efforts to prevent the collapse of equity values by massive purchases of stocks have received wide publicity since early July, but these purchases do not pose an immediate challenge to China’s technocrats.” .. the big crisis is about the currency – with outflows/inflows relating to the depreciation or appreciation of the currency .. “Beijing now finds itself in what looks like a no-win situation. If it does nothing, cash will continue to gush out of China. If, on the other hand, China acts to stem the outflow, it could make an already bad situation worse. Actions that are too radical can create a panic. Moves not radical enough will probably hasten outflows because holders of cash will think they have only a limited opportunity to transfer their wealth to safer jurisdictions. At this late date, confidence is eroding quickly, and China’s technocrats are finding their options narrowing and prospects dimming.”

LINK HERE to the Article

Nestmann

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