Japan
Ulrich Bindseil on the launch of the digital euro
The ECB’s director-general for market infrastructure and payments speaks about the functionality, tiering approaches, privacy policies, ledger technology and ecosystem impact of the eurozone's planned CBDC
Bank of Japan launches policy review as deflation worsens
BoJ considers further monetary easing and extends special loan programmes
Whither the age of ‘magic money’?
EME central banks are more exposed to changes in geopolitics, climate, demography, technology and inflation at a time when monetary theory is running well behind central bank practice
ECB is caught in a ‘communications trap’ – Issing
Monetary policy architect says ‘close to’ 2% inflation target was never part of original plan; urges ECB to reject Fed-like average inflation targeting
The dawn of average inflation targeting
The Fed has failed to explain how it will calculate the ‘average’ for its new AIT framework, raising new risks that central bankers would do well to reflect on
Is there a path between the Covid abyss and chasm of financial risk?
Macro-prudential policies are being used to prevent economies from falling into the Covid abyss while also ensuring that a correction in ever-higher asset prices do not crush the economy. Are both objectives achievable?
BIS paper warns economies may stagnate after Covid-19
Author models the structural changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic
World faces systemic debt crisis, IMF warns
IMF calls for urgent reforms and Japanese finance minister criticises China over debt agreement
A fiscal alternative to stabilise the post-Covid economy
Columbia professor Michael Woodford calls on policy-makers to think beyond interest rates
Japan’s economy needs bolder policies
PM Abe announces decision to step down with many goals still unachieved
James Bullard on the Fed’s policy review, FSOC and forecasting jobs data
St Louis Fed president discusses his support for average inflation targeting, his concerns about US Treasuries market function, non-bank regulatory weakness and negative rates, as well as the unexpected success in using Homebase data to predict highly…
Bank of Japan intensifies CBDC research
Central bank appoints new CBDC head as ruling party warns Chinese effort poses security threat
Bank of Japan to begin testing CBDC
BoJ publishes report on feasibility of digital yen, a surprise move after governor’s ‘lack of demand’ comment
Coronavirus panic fuels a surge in cash demand
Covid-19 has led to banknote hoarding in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the eurozone, Russia and the US, fuelled by concerns about financial system stress, write Jonathan Ashworth and Charles Goodhart
Central bank museums grapple with lockdown
Money museums moved online to keep communicating during Covid-19 lockdown; some now plan to reopen for a limited number of visitors
Central banking enters a new era
Central banks face a delicate balancing act to preserve their reputations as they evolve into ‘buyers of last resort’ and some of their actions appear functionally equivalent to ‘monetary financing’
FOMC considers more aggressive forward guidance
Officials discussed state-contingent forward guidance and yield curve control, April minutes show
The ECB, the lockdown and the monetary financing lock
The eurozone’s central bank may need to break its prohibition on monetary financing to fight the pandemic
Bank of Japan appoints first female executive director
Tokiko Shimizu becomes first female executive director since bank was established in 1882
Charted: rush for dollar liquidity fades
Figures from central bank dollar repo facilities show waning demand, but outstanding swaps still high
Bank of Japan steps up stimulus with unlimited JGB purchases
BoJ drops limit on government debt and quadruples corporate bond cap, but it is unclear if purchases will actually increase
Policy-makers making risky ‘one-round bet’ on Covid-19 – El-Erian
Former Pimco chief worried about readiness and ability of policy-makers to tackle a ‘second wave’ of infections
Transfer season
Trade frictions with the US have caused a mass industrial transfer to China’s neighbours. Zhou Chengjun, IFF Academic Committee member and inspector of the Macro‑prudential Policy Bureau of the People’s Bank of China, says that shouldn’t stop China…
The long march to global growth
Liang Tao, vice-chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, says that China’s growth is fuelling innovation and modernisation, but financial regulation and governance needs to be tightened up for China to take its place at the top…