Abstract
On 19 June 2010, the Chinese authorities announced that the renminbi (RMB) was henceforth to be managed with reference to a currency basket. Yet, it has subsequently quite closely followed the USD, although having appreciated gradually by 7.7 per cent up to the time of writing. The details of the composition of the basket have not been announced. Despite having appreciated against the USD, the RMB became first significantly weaker against a broad trade‐weighted basket, and the EUR and the JPY, and this situation held until September 2011. China has announced at international forums that the RMB exchange rate regime will be reformed further. We discuss here what a transparent basket peg could mean for China. To reduce the overall volatility of the RMB exchange rate, the weight for the EUR should be significantly increased, with the special drawing right basket being one option for practical implementation. This would also have a positive impact on the EU. China's currency reform has possible implications for its USD‐dominated asset holdings. Reducing them could trigger a further depreciation of the USD. The potentially costly consequences call for new rules for the global financial architecture. However, China's economic expansion will inevitably lead to a diminishing international role for the USD.
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