The common thought amongst even reasonably educated and economically literate Americans is that China is 'stuck with US Treasuries' and has no choice, so it must perform within the status quo and do as the US wishes, or face a ruinous decline in their reserve holdings of US Treasuries. And with real short term US Treasury interest rates decidedly negative, meaning that it is costing you money to hold dollars, there is a case to be made that there are a lot of 'price takers' out there in this world. Wow, they are just that good, aren't they. Having their heyday in a genuine deflation. A subtle tax levied on all holders of US dollars, probably more significant because of the official understantement of inflation. Yo, come git some. I think China is already diversifying their reserve portfolio, and more stealthily and effectively than one would imagine. Further, I suspect that through the use of hedging short positions and derivatives such as Credit Default Swaps, China would be able to cover a greater portion of its reserves than the common mind might allow. And if this is in reality one theater in a global struggle for power, sacrificing a pawn or two, and even a bishop, would be a small price to pay to bring down the world's remaining superpower, as indirectly and gracefully as is possible. War is never cheaply waged. It would most certainly be a nuclear option to outright dump Treasuries outright, and would raise the ire of what is still a formidable military power. But it is the Western mind that is so incapable of seeing the many shades of gray in every situation, the subtle gradations in a range of choices that I believe China not only sees but is already actively pursuing.
The common thought amongst even reasonably educated and economically literate Americans is that China is 'stuck with US Treasuries' and has no choice, so it must perform within the status quo and do as the US wishes, or face a ruinous decline in their reserve holdings of US Treasuries.
And with real short term US Treasury interest rates decidedly negative, meaning that it is costing you money to hold dollars, there is a case to be made that there are a lot of 'price takers' out there in this world. Wow, they are just that good, aren't they. Having their heyday in a genuine deflation. A subtle tax levied on all holders of US dollars, probably more significant because of the official understantement of inflation. Yo, come git some.
I think China is already diversifying their reserve portfolio, and more stealthily and effectively than one would imagine. Further, I suspect that through the use of hedging short positions and derivatives such as Credit Default Swaps, China would be able to cover a greater portion of its reserves than the common mind might allow. And if this is in reality one theater in a global struggle for power, sacrificing a pawn or two, and even a bishop, would be a small price to pay to bring down the world's remaining superpower, as indirectly and gracefully as is possible. War is never cheaply waged.
It would most certainly be a nuclear option to outright dump Treasuries outright, and would raise the ire of what is still a formidable military power. But it is the Western mind that is so incapable of seeing the many shades of gray in every situation, the subtle gradations in a range of choices that I believe China not only sees but is already actively pursuing.
Exhibit A from Jesse's post:
China rating agency condemns rivals Financial Times The head of China's largest credit rating agency has slammed his western counterparts for causing the global financial crisis and said that as the world's largest creditor nation China should have a bigger say in how governments and their debt are rated. "The western rating agencies are politicised and highly ideological and they do not adhere to objective standards," Guan Jianzhong, chairman of Dagong Global Credit Rating, told the Financial Times in an interview. "China is the biggest creditor nation in the world and with the rise and national rejuvenation of China we should have our say in how the credit risks of states are judged." .... "The financial crisis was caused because rating agencies didn't properly disclose risk and this brought the entire US financial system to the verge of collapse, causing huge damage to the US and its strategic interests," Mr Guan said. .... "The US is insolvent and faces bankruptcy as a pure debtor nation but the rating agencies still give it high rankings ," Mr Guan said. "Actually, the huge military expenditure of the US is not created by themselves but comes from borrowed money, which is not sustainable."
The head of China's largest credit rating agency has slammed his western counterparts for causing the global financial crisis and said that as the world's largest creditor nation China should have a bigger say in how governments and their debt are rated.
"The western rating agencies are politicised and highly ideological and they do not adhere to objective standards," Guan Jianzhong, chairman of Dagong Global Credit Rating, told the Financial Times in an interview. "China is the biggest creditor nation in the world and with the rise and national rejuvenation of China we should have our say in how the credit risks of states are judged."
....
"The financial crisis was caused because rating agencies didn't properly disclose risk and this brought the entire US financial system to the verge of collapse, causing huge damage to the US and its strategic interests," Mr Guan said.
"The US is insolvent and faces bankruptcy as a pure debtor nation but the rating agencies still give it high rankings ," Mr Guan said. "Actually, the huge military expenditure of the US is not created by themselves but comes from borrowed money, which is not sustainable."
Jesse's conclusion:
China is not the only country that resents the devastating frauds that the US has perpetrated on not only its own people but the rest of the world through its Wall Street banks and ratings agencies. Most Americans overlook this developing estrangement that is beginning to isolate the US and UK from even their traditional allies in Europe and South America and Asia. This is a serious error, but so typical of the short term mentality dominated by greed, dishonesty, and self-delusion that captured the American psyche in the latter part of The New American Century. But what choice does Europe have except to take what the Anglo-Americans serve them. Take it or leave it. And ain't currency war hell? It never pays to have a 'checkerboard mentality' when your opponent is playing Go."
Most Americans overlook this developing estrangement that is beginning to isolate the US and UK from even their traditional allies in Europe and South America and Asia. This is a serious error, but so typical of the short term mentality dominated by greed, dishonesty, and self-delusion that captured the American psyche in the latter part of The New American Century. But what choice does Europe have except to take what the Anglo-Americans serve them. Take it or leave it. And ain't currency war hell?
It never pays to have a 'checkerboard mentality' when your opponent is playing Go."
If you enjoyed how well the Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model employed by US mainstream economists guided us through the ongoing Great Clusterfuck you will really enjoy how it plays when our greatest creditor China employs its own "rational expectations". Who knows. They might even hire Goldman to advise them. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
All of the loans extended through the multiborrower facilities that have come due have been repaid in full, with interest. In addition, the Board does not expect the Federal Reserve to incur a net loss on any of the secured loans provided during the crisis to help prevent the disorderly failure of systemically significant financial institutions.
This is what Dylan Rattigan calls "The Big TARP Lie". As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
China: The US Is "Insolvent and Faces Bankruptcy"
Well duuuuuuuh! Since when is this news? In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
