SDR

More widespread use of the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights could prevent a currency war, Thierry de Longuemar, chief financial officer at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), said on May 4. But the treasurer got little sympathy from other experts at the Asian Development Bank’s meeting.

Germany's domestic central bank said this week that it would start buying renminbi assets. Andreas Dombret, a member of the board at the Bundesbank, indicated to GlobalRMB that the central bank — like others in the developed markets — would follow the European Central Bank’s small initial allocation to the currency.

China got a big PR win when the IMF elevated the renminbi currency to its special drawing rights (SDR) basket, but the real market impact from that decision is yet to be felt.

The transition to a new IMF special drawing rights (SDR) basket, inclusive of the renminbi, is just the starting point for efforts by China and the IMF to see the basket take up a greater role as a global liquidity tool.

In the nascent market for special drawing rights (SDR) denominated bonds, known as Mulan bonds, Standard Chartered (StanChart) managed to increase onshore investor interest in the first deal by a commercial lender in China.

China’s domestic bond market is poised for another landmark transaction with Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) opening books to a special drawing rights-denominated bond on Tuesday.

The African Development Bank could follow the lead of the World Bank in issuing a bond denominated in special drawing rights, its treasurer has told GlobalCapital.

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) is set to become the first commercial issuer of special drawing rights-denominated bonds. The group’s head of capital markets for Greater China and north Asia told GlobalRMB that the notes are testament to StanChart’s commitment to develop the renminbi markets.

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) has unveiled the syndicate for its special drawing rights-denominated bond.

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) has obtained approval from the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) to become the first commercial issuer of bonds denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) in the country’s interbank bond market.

The entry of the renminbi into the IMF special drawing rights (SDR) on October 1 is stirring up debate for a revised role of the SDR, with some suggesting reform of the currency unit could lead to a more stable international monetary system.

With the renminbi now officially part of the special drawing rights basket, China is set to push on with its goal of making the SDR a real-world investment and reserve asset. But the obstacles to that plan are daunting.