The renminbi as an additional international reserve currency

The recent global financial crisis highlighted the risks arising from an international monetary system that mainly relies on the U.S. dollar as the international currency. Shortages of dollar funding in numerous advanced and emerging economies spilled over into the real economy, contributing to significant economic slowdown. A sound international monetary system in the 21st century requires a number of major currencies to act as world reserve currencies. The Chinese currency could emerge as one of the major world reserve currencies over time. The purpose of this article is to analyze the factors that could contribute to the emergence of the Chinese currency (renminbi/ yuan) as an international currency. To this end, this article provides an overview of what an international currency is, and the costs and benefits of currency internationalization. Next, it discusses the initiatives Chinese policymakers have undertaken to date, in order to increase international usage of the yuan. Finally, it examines the prerequisites of an international currency, and compares China’s structural factors against these prerequisites to identify and examine the structural factors that policymakers must first address before currency internationalization will occur.