RMB against USD Hit 5 years low since 2011 China Economy in slump 人民幣大跳水 對美金降至5年新低

The Chinese yuan, the source of much anguish in financial markets from Sao Paulo to Singapore since last summer, is enjoying some respite. The currency, also known as renminbi, is currently trading near its best levels against the dollar this year at 6.5241, having slumped to 6.5800 earlier in 2016. Efforts by Chinese policymakers to shore up confidence in the economy have helped somewhat. Capital outflows, a big factor behind the weakness in the currency and the subsequent depletion of China's foreign exchange reserves as the People's Bank of China (PBOC) intervened to prevent the yuan from falling more, also appear to have eased. But Goldman Sachs still expects the currency to weaken to 7 against the greenback by the end of the year and has listed four reasons behind its call. Here they are: Debt overhang The sharp surge in credit in recent years has led to an accumulation of debt in the economy that will likely imply interest rates will stay lower for longer, Goldman Sachs estimates. The softer monetary policy should add to depreciation pressures on the currency. Economic slowdown China's once-runaway export growth has slowed (shipments fell at their fastest pace since 2009 in February) as the currency has appreciated on a trade-weighted basis over many years. Overall economic growth was 6.9 percent in 2015, sturdy by global standards but the slowest pace in China in 25 years. Policymakers may now have to tweak the currency to counter the slowdown in the economy, Goldman reckons. Preference for weaker currency According to Goldman Sachs, the managed depreciation of the yuan in December and the early weeks of 2016 suggests "a degree of bias" on the part of the authorities for a weaker currency. Goldman cites a recent interview given by PBOC Governor Zhou Xiaochuan to Caixin magazine, in which Zhou suggested that the current yuan level against the dollar did not represent a "reasonable and balanced" level for the currency. Policy divergence Goldman's U.S. team expects the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates three times this year, while forecasting economic growth to be above the trend level. An increase in U.S. interest rates coupled with a downward trend in Chinese monetary policy will imply outflow pressures and lead to yuan weakness, Goldman says. RMB against USD Hit 5 years low since 2011 China Economy in slump 人民幣大跳水 對美金降至5年新低,for more information about china world news visit site at http://youtube.com/user/worldinchinese as well as business website at http://penglaichina.com