China took a big step towards deregulation of its gold market
Wednesday when it launched the long-awaited national gold exchange
in Shanghai, the nation's financial center.
The move came after the People's Bank of China, the central bank,
established a weekly quotation system of domestic gold prices in
June and relaxed its control on the gold jewelry retail market at
the beginning of this month.
The launch of the exchange would have a "positive impact'' on gold
production, circulation and demand in China, the central bank said
in a press release Wednesday.
The gold exchange has found 108 trading members from the gold
mining, processing, exporting and importing sectors and commercial
banks.
They are permitted by the central bank to conduct spot transactions
using Renminbi in the exchange.
Eighty-two of the members participated in Wednesday's simulated
operation.
Shen Xiangrong, chairman of the gold exchange's executive council,
said the exchange will begin official operation at the beginning of
next year.
Last year in Shanghai, as a precursor to the gold exchange, the
central bank launched its silver counterpart.
The central bank has tightly controlled the production and
circulation of gold since the founding of the People's Republic of
China in 1949.
Under the central bank's control, gold producers had to sell all of
their gold to the central bank.
Albert Cheng, general manager of the World Gold Council's East Asia
operation, said the gold operation will be a "milestone'' in the
reform of China's gold market.
"We are confident of gold demand growth in China after this
launch,'' Cheng said.
The London-based council, a gold promotion organization funded by
the world's leading gold mining companies, expected that the gold
market deregulation will increase the demand in China.
The council earlier predicted the annual gold demand in China was
expected to increase to 600 tons in a few years -- after the market
deregulation from the current level of 200 tons.
The council's statistics show the demand for metal on the Chinese
mainland increased by 5 percent year-on-year to 156.2 tons during
the first three quarters of 2001.
Ye
Yingnan, director of the currency, gold and silver division of the
central bank, said the bank would partly continue its purchase from
gold producers in the short term to ensure a smooth market
reform.
The central bank will continue to allocate the metal to special
gold users, such as military and scientific and research
institutions.
Wang Jie, president of the gold exchange, said a guiding gold price
will be formed in the exchange in line with the fluctuations on the
world market during the initial stage of the operation.
The central bank's weekly gold price quotation system will be
replaced.
The bank decreased its gold purchasing price from 71.75 yuan
(US$8.68) a gram to 71.33 yuan (US$8.63) on Monday according to the
world market changes.
The selling price declined from 73.18 yuan (US$8.85) a gram to
72.75 yuan (US$8.80).
The bank said futures transactions will be allowed in the gold
exchange when the operation reaches "maturity."
Ye
said the bank will also permit individuals to buy gold for saving
or investment as another step in the market deregulation
process.
Among 108 trading members of the exchange, 24 gold producers
control 75 percent of national gold output, and 63 users account
for 80 percent of Chinese gold consumption.
(China
Daily November 29, 2001)