March 24, 2009 (Wall Street Journal) -- China has called for the creation of a new international reserve currency to replace the US dollar over time, laying down an unusually direct demand for an overhaul of global finance ahead of next week's summit to craft a response to the financial crisis.
"The re-establishment of a new and widely accepted reserve currency with a stable valuation benchmark may take a long time," People's Bank of China governor Zhou Xiaochuan said in an essay published on the central bank's website, titled "Reform of the International Monetary System".
Mr. Zhou didn't explicitly mention the role of the US dollar, but said having a national currency act as an international reserve currency may have outlived its usefulness and that a desired goal now should be creating an international reserve currency that is disconnected from individual nations and is able to remain stable in the long run.
Beijing also reiterated its call for reform of the International Monetary Fund but said it would be willing to consider short-term ways of bolstering the IMF's resources to help it fight the global financial crisis. PBOC vice governor Hu Xiaolian said Beijing would "actively" consider buying IMF bonds if the institution decides to issue bonds.
