人民币加入SDR

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde’s Remarks to the Press on the Inclusion of the RMB in the SDR Basket

September 30, 2016

Thank you, colleagues. And thank you particularly to the Chinese team and to all those at the IMF who’ve worked really hard over the last few months. To come to…I’m announcing now:

I’m very pleased to announce that tomorrow – October 1^st, 2016 – the Special Drawing Right (SDR) basket will become effective, the new basket. Because as of tomorrow, the renminbi (RMB) will be considered by the international community as a freely usable international currency and will join the basket of the Special Drawing Rights together with the U.S. dollar, the euro, the yen and the British pound.

The expansion of the SDR basket is a historical milestone for the SDR, for the Fund, but more importantly, for China, and for the international monetary system. It is a significant change for the SDR basket, because this is the first time in its history that it is being expanded.

The inclusion of the renminbi in the Special Drawing Right basket will further diversify it, and will make its composition more representative of the global currencies and the global economy. It is a significant change for the Fund, because since the euro, this is the first time that a new currency is included to that basket, which means that going forward, the Fund will use the renminbi in its financial operations as well (as) many other institutions. This is also a significant change for China and for the international monetary system. It is an important step in the integration of the Chinese economy into the global financial and monetary system. The renminbi’s inclusion reflects the progress made in reforming China’s monetary, foreign exchange and financial systems, and it acknowledges the advances made in liberalizing and improving the infrastructure of the financial markets. The continuation and deepening of these efforts, with appropriate safeguards, will bring about a more robust international monetary and financial system, which, in turn, will be good for the stability and growth of China and of the international economy.

So today, this milestone reflects the significant evolution of the global economy. It also demonstrates that the Fund is determined to serve and guide its membership, and to accompany and adjust to the changes.

Thank you very much!