As shown in the statistics of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), in April 2024, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 1233.6 billion and RMB 1503.6 billion, respectively. During January to April 2024, the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was RMB 5085.0 billion and RMB 5531.2 billion, respectively.

In the US dollar terms, in April 2024, the amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 173.7 billion and USD 211.8 billion, respectively. During January to April 2024, the accumulative amount of foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks was USD 715.9 billion and USD 778.8 billion, respectively.

In April 2024, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was RMB 4204.3 billion and RMB 4475.4 billion, respectively. During January to April 2024, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was RMB 15984.9 billion and RMB 16233.8 billion, respectively.

In the US dollar terms, in April 2024, the amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 592.1billion and USD 630.3 billion, respectively. During January to April 2024, the accumulative amount of cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors was USD 2250.7 billion and USD 2285.8 billion, respectively.

In April 2024, China’s cross-border capital flows were influenced by multiple factors. Specifically, foreign trade showed an obvious trend of positive development with the foreign-related receipts and payments of trade in goods maintaining a rather large scale of surplus, playing a fundamental role in stabilizing cross-border capital flows. The foreign capital made an active allocation of RMB assets, and the net purchase of domestic bonds and stocks by overseas investors reached RMB 124.7 billion and RMB 45.1 billion respectively in April. Moreover, the cross-border foreign currency receipts and payments generally maintained balance while the RMB cross-border net outflow increased in April, embodying the influence of rather low RMB financing cost. Since May 1st, the internal and external environment has continued to improve, and China’s cross-border capital flows have become more balanced. Looking ahead, supporting role of internal fundamentals in China’s foreign exchange market will be further enhanced with the continuous increase of positive factors in the Chinese economy, which will better balance China’s cross-border capital flows.

Addendum: Glossary and relevant definitions

Balance of payments (BOP) refers to all economic transactions between residents and non-residents.

Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks refers to settlement and sale transaction that bank executes for customers and for the banks themselves, including statistic data on settlements of forward contracts for foreign exchange settlement and sales and the exercises of option, and excluding the transactions in the interbank foreign exchange market. The statistic reporting date of Foreign exchange settlement and sales by banks should be the trade day of the Foreign exchange settlement and sales transaction. By definition, foreign exchange settlement means that foreign exchange holders sell foreign exchange to banks, and foreign exchange sales means that banks sell foreign exchange to foreign exchange buyers.

The newly signed contract amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to the binding forward contract between a bank and its client that predetermines foreign exchange currency, amount, exchange rate and tenor which to be executed upon maturity.

The unwind amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to, where client is unable to perform the original forward contract due to change in its real demand, client to fully or partially close its forward position by executing another deal with opposite direction to the original contract.

The rolling amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales refers to client to adjust the settlement date of original contract due to change in its real demand.

The outstanding amount of forward foreign exchange settlement and sales by the end of the current period refers to the total amount of forward contracts accumulated from all non-matured forward contracts with client.

The net Delta exposure of outstanding options refers to the implied foreign exchange spot risk exposure from outstanding option contracts that bank executed with client.

The cross-border receipts and payments by non-banking sectors refers to the receipts and payments between domestic non-banking sectors (including institutional and individual residents) and non-residents through domestic banks, excluding receipts and payments in cash. In particular, the statistics includes cross-border receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (including RMB and foreign currency), and domestic receipts and payments between non-banking sectors and non-residents through domestic banks (temporarily excluding domestic receipts and payments in RMB between individual residents and non-resident individuals). Data are collected when customers conduct receipts and payments with non-resident counterparties at domestic banks. Specifically, the receipts refer to the capital of non-banking sectors received from non-residents via domestic banks; the payments refer to the capital of non-banking sectors paid to non-residents via domestic banks.