China will scrap quota restrictions on how much foreign exchange
domestic companies can buy to finance their overseas investments,
the latest move in a string of measures to relax the country's
forex controls.
Under the new rules, which will take effect on July 1, domestic
companies will be allowed to use their own foreign exchange
holdings, buy foreign currency from regulators or borrow from both
overseas or domestic lenders to invest abroad, the State
Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a statement
posted on its website yesterday.
Overseas investments refer to companies setting up subsidiaries,
mergers and acquisitions, the foreign exchange regulator said.
"The policy revisions will help companies' 'go abroad'
strategies and meet their increasing demand for conducting overseas
investments," it said in the statement.
"The move is not surprising and is in line with the country's
changing forex management policy," said Li Yongsen, an economist
with the Renmin University of China, referring to the country's new
policy of encouraging households and businesses to hold more
foreign exchange.
"The new rules, which reflect domestic enterprises' growing need
for foreign exchange usage, will facilitate their overseas business
expansion," Li said.
But he said the move would not see an immediate surge of
overseas investments by domestic companies, as "the new rules only
simplify the procedures for firms to buy foreign exchange."
China is currently encouraging domestic companies to expand into
the global market. China's overseas investment amounted to US$64.5
billion by the end of last year, up from US$52.7 billion the
previous year, according to figures released by the SAFE last
month.
However, it only accounted for a meagre 0.5 percent of global
foreign direct investment last year.
Yesterday's move is China's latest step to loosen its once rigid
foreign exchange controls, a sign that reform of the foreign
exchange regime is gaining steam.
(China Daily?June 9, 2006)