Mofication of Chinese Exchange rate policy: Rationale, extent and recent development

On July 21, China slightly revalued the Renminbi and officially modified the exchange rate regime. Interpreting this move as only the outcome of international pressures to reduce international trade imbalances is however misleading. To support our argument, we explore the rationale of the July 21 decision in the history of exchange rate management in China, and through the review of the twin debates of exchange rate level / regime. We argue that both external and internal concerns are took into account by Chine authorities in the exchange rate management. Moreover, the entire responsibility of Chinese exchange rate management in the world trade imbalances is doubtful. The review of the recent development since the July 21 shows that the impact of July 21 decision is limited. While the hot money inflows seems to have been tamed, the previous economic trends have not been modified to date.