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“China's foreign reserves top $2tn”
by BBCNews   
July 15th, 2009

China's foreign exchange reserves, the world's largest, have surpassed $2 trillion (£1.2tn), the country's central bank has said.

Currency reserves rose 17.8% from June 2008 to a record $2.13tn. Its currency stockpile is twice the size of Japan's - the second-biggest holder.

The reserves rose as foreign investment flowed back into China

The People's Bank of China buys many of the dollars entering China to prevent its exchange rate from increasing.

BBC business editor Robert Peston says that the primary cause of China's ballooning foreign currency reserves on this occasion is not the surplus of China's exports over its imports.

He says it is the result of overseas investors identifying China as the strongest of the world's major economies and pouring money into property and shares.

China's main stock index, the Shanghai Composite Index, has jumped by 74% this year.

Dollar dominance

The bulk of China's foreign currency reserves are in dollars - mainly US government debt.

The country's leaders have expressed concern about the stability of the US dollar and have called for the creation of a new international reserve currency.

They fear the dollar could weaken as the financial crisis takes its toll and undermine the value of China's vast holdings of US government debt.

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