Tuesday April 20 2010 Brazil cenbanker- stronger China currency critical
* Meirelles says stronger yuan good for global economy
* Remarks come days before G20 finance meeting
BRASILIA, A stronger Chinese currency is "critical" for the good of the global economy, Brazil's central bank chief Henrique Meirelles said on Tuesday, joining a chorus of critics of China's foreign exchange policy.
Speculation that China may soon revalue its currency and unveil a long-awaited shift in its exchange rate has intensified in recent weeks, and the yuan is likely to figure in discussions at this week's Group of 20 meeting of finance officials in Washington.
"I think it's absolutely critical for the equilibrium of the world economy," Meirelles said when asked by a senator what the impact would be if China revalued its currency.
Meirelles was speaking to the Senate's economic affairs committee before traveling to Washington where the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will also be held.
"There are some distortions in world markets, one of them is a lack of growth and another is China," Meirelles said.
"China's exchange rate is the result of the country's big savings ... this generates distortions for China itself."
China has been under pressure from the United States and other countries to let the yuan strengthen so that global products become more competitive vis-a-vis Chinese exports.
This month, Brazil's Finance Minister Guido Mantega waded into the debate when he said that a flexible currency policy in China "would be very good" for the global economy.
Last week, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Brasilia at a summit of the so-called BRIC group of major emerging markets, which also includes Russia and India.
But Lula did not mention the yuan, preferring to avoid fraying ties with Beijing over the issue.
In a closed-door speech at that summit, Hu reiterated Beijing's long-standing official description of its yuan policy, saying that China remains on course to gradually put in place a managed floating exchange rate system.
Speculation that China may soon revalue its currency and unveil a long-awaited shift in its exchange rate has intensified in recent weeks, and the yuan is likely to figure in discussions at this week's Group of 20 meeting of finance officials in Washington.
"I think it's absolutely critical for the equilibrium of the world economy," Meirelles said when asked by a senator what the impact would be if China revalued its currency.
Meirelles was speaking to the Senate's economic affairs committee before traveling to Washington where the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will also be held.
"There are some distortions in world markets, one of them is a lack of growth and another is China," Meirelles said.
"China's exchange rate is the result of the country's big savings ... this generates distortions for China itself."
China has been under pressure from the United States and other countries to let the yuan strengthen so that global products become more competitive vis-a-vis Chinese exports.
This month, Brazil's Finance Minister Guido Mantega waded into the debate when he said that a flexible currency policy in China "would be very good" for the global economy.
Last week, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao in Brasilia at a summit of the so-called BRIC group of major emerging markets, which also includes Russia and India.
But Lula did not mention the yuan, preferring to avoid fraying ties with Beijing over the issue.
In a closed-door speech at that summit, Hu reiterated Beijing's long-standing official description of its yuan policy, saying that China remains on course to gradually put in place a managed floating exchange rate system.
