Connect with us

News

China appoints US trained central banker

Published

on

The appointment of Yi Gang, a veteran deputy central banker, to head the People's Bank of China was in a slate of promotions approved by China's ceremonial legislature of finance and economic officials as President Xi Jinping tightens control over government. (Photo By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland - The Global Economic Outlook: Yi Gang, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The appointment of Yi Gang, a veteran deputy central banker, to head the People’s Bank of China was in a slate of promotions approved by China’s ceremonial legislature of finance and economic officials as President Xi Jinping tightens control over government. (Photo By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland – The Global Economic Outlook: Yi Gang, CC BY-SA 2.0)

BEIJING – A U.S.-trained economist was appointed Monday to succeed the longtime governor of China’s central bank, Zhou Xiaochuan, at a time when the ruling Communist Party is trying to reduce financial risks and surging debt.

The appointment of Yi Gang, a veteran deputy central banker, to head the People’s Bank of China was in a slate of promotions approved by China’s ceremonial legislature of finance and economic officials as President Xi Jinping tightens control over government.

Also Monday, the National People’s Congress endorsed the elevation of Liu He, Xi’s economic adviser, to a post as vice-premier, where he is expected to oversee economic reform.

The ruling Communist Party is under pressure to control surging debt, defuse mounting trade tensions with Washington and Europe and make the cooling, state-dominated economy more productive. It has promised to open more industries to private and foreign competition but business groups and reform advocates complain Beijing is moving too slowly.

The NPC endorsed the appointment of Zhong Shan to a second term as commerce minister. Liu Kun was named finance minister.

Yi, 60, is well known to foreign investors and foreign regulators as head of China’s foreign exchange regulator. He has overseen efforts to make the mechanism that sets the exchange rate for China’s tightly controlled yuan more market-oriented.

Yi received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and taught at Indiana University. He also has a degree in business administration from Hamline University in Minnesota.

“Highly regarded in the international circles and seen as a pragmatic reformist, Yi Gang’s appointment is set to ensure policy continuity and a smooth transition,” said Mizuho Bank in a report.

Zhou, who is retiring after a record 15 year in the post, is the most prominent Chinese figure in global finance. At 70, he is well beyond official retirement age but stayed on following the 2012 handover of power to a new generation of leaders under President Xi Jinping in what was seen as an effort to reassure companies and financial markets of stability.

Beijing is trying to rein in surging debt that prompted international ratings agencies to cut its credit rating last year. The Communist Party has declared controlling financial risk a priority this year.

Zhou warned in October that rising debt could have a “severe impact” on the economy but said last week regulators believed they had debt under control.

The central bank governor’s formal powers are limited despite the post’s high profile. Unlike central banks of other major economies, the People’s Bank doesn’t make monetary policy. Instead, its mission is to carry out policy made by an official body the identity of whose members is secret.

The People’s Bank is widely seen as an advocate of conventional, market-oriented economics.

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle3 days ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Why Eating Healthy Matters

We are what we eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake — we should take these words to...