So holding the world’s reserve currency with no need to justify / verify that anything of “real value” ( such as gold ) stood behind “said currency” sure gave the United States and incredible advantage / gift no?
With a “U.S Dollar system” now in place, and demand for those dollars “world-wide” ( as in order to buy a commodity such as sugar, gas or oil – other countries needed to convert their local currency to USD first ) U.S Dollar printing and exporting literally “exploded”.
Exploded all right.
With complete and total disrespect for the privileges given, years of gross government spending and expansion, several “senseless wars” and total abuse of the U.S Dollar ( with it’s role as the worlds reserve currency )…things exploded alright.
Into the 17 “Trillion Dollars” The United States currently finds itself in debt.
Now, for the longest time China played right along ( in order to keep trade with the U.S stable ) pegging the Yuan to the U.S Dollar and buying tonnes of U.S government issued bonds as well amassing incredible U.S Dollar reserves in order to purchase commodities for it’s own growing population.
Back in the day China had little choice but to play along as its own economy was really only just getting started.
In 1994 when China pegged the Yuan to USD she lacked the population centers and distribution networks needed for a stronger “consumer-oriented domestic economy” to take hold. China’s only choice at the time ( lacking a large domestic economy ) was to remain focused on the continued strength of its exports, and its unfortunate relationship” with the ever depreciating U.S Dollar.
Well that was then…….and this is “now”.
A few things for you to consider before I wrap this up, and perhaps you’ll see where I’m going with all this….before I even get there.
- China is currently the world’s largest producer of gold, and has been actively buying gold at record amounts month over month.
- China’s economy is set to expand by an additional 7.5% in 2014 in comparison to the U.S economy lucky to grow at all, and more likely to continue into recession.
- China’s central bank has said it no longer sees any benefit in increasing its $3.66 trillion foreign currency reserves, meaning no more U.S bond buying.
- China currently has bilateral trade agreements ( trade outside of use of the U.S Dollar ) with more than 20 countries including Russia, Australia , Brasil , Mexico , The United Kingdom “and” even the EU!
Please refer to the complete list half way down the page located here at Wikipedia.
So in a nutshell the recent “domestic growth” in China has finally created a “consumer based economy” where in products manufactured in China are now able to be sold in China.To the extent that local businesses now exist and “prosper” with little reliance on “exporting” and a decreasing reliance on anything to do with “exchange to USD.
We good so far? Makes sense right? Years of internal growth finally culminating in a society / economy able to stand alone and support its own domestic businesses ya? An “export based economy” now looking to become a “consumer based economy”? Pretty straight forward really.
So…..China has literally “warehouse after warehouse stuffed to the rafters” with U.S Dollars that are rapidly depreciating ever day the Fed’s printing presses keep running, with little interest in keeping / using these dollars as every day goes by.
China can now buy and sell any number of goods with a large portion of the industrialized world with little to no concern for the dollar, and has now built a “consumer based economy” of its own capable of supporting growth – with decreasing concern for export.
So…….What is she gonna do with all those U.S Dollars sitting there gathering dust and losing value as we speak?
I’ll wind this up ( I promise ) with one more post outlining what China plans to do about all this….and how it will likely affect things in the West.
