Time-frequency volatility spillovers between Chinese renminbi onshore and offshore markets during the COVID-19 crisis

Abstract

This article investigates the time-frequency volatility spillovers between Chinese renminbi onshore and offshore markets during the COVID-19 crisis. By employing wavelet analysis, we find that: (i) As the timescale increases, the volatility spillovers between renminbi onshore and offshore markets are gradually significant and bidirectional, and they have increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak. (ii) The significant volatility spillovers of the two markets are decomposed into many sub-spillovers on different timescales, most possibly precipitated by heterogeneous behaviors across various investment horizons. (iii) During the COVID-19 crisis, the onshore market has the dominant position on price discovery and leads the offshore market.