OT: An open letter to Bernanke from the Chinese Minister of Finance. Two
===============================
Dear Esteemed Chairman and Savior of the World Economy:
On behalf of your many Chinese friends and all of the Chinese people, we wish to congratulate you on your recent reappointment as Chairman of the American Federal Reserve. We could not be more pleased to know that the man who saved the value of our Fannie Mae mortgage-backed securities last year will be the Great Monetary Helmsman for another four years.
We also note with satisfaction, and admiration, your many recent assurances, via the Wall Street Journal and various eloquent speeches, that you and the Fed have no intention of permitting a revival of dollar inflation. This is a source of great reassurance to the Chinese people, not to mention the bureaucracy in Beijing that made the decision to invest $1 trillion or more in dollar-denominated securities.
As you can imagine, this has become a source of some political controversy inside the government of the People's Republic, as we have also noted it has become in the irresponsible American financial press. Fortunately, we don't have the latter problem. But please know that we share your disdain for any voices in the unpatriotic media who would question your resolve to maintain the value of the world's reserve currency.
At the same time, and with the deepest respect, we also note with concern your decision this year to purchase U.S. Treasurys, which directly monetizes the debt built up by irresponsible democratic politicians. (This is one reason we Chinese are so skeptical of democracy; it always leads to a welfare state!) We must admit that that Treasury decision caught us by surprise, considering the many lectures over the years from our American friends about the importance of an independent central bank. Then again, the last year has seen America do many things that we once thought a capitalist economy would never do, wouldn't you agree?
With this in mind, we have decided to hedge our dollar bets and buy gold, oil and other commodities which will rise in value if the dollar falls. You may have therefore noticed that oil has risen above $71 a barrel, despite slack global demand, and in particular that gold has climbed this week above $1,000 an ounce.
Perhaps you have seen reports that we Chinese are doubling our reserves of gold and buying other related metals. Please do not be alarmed. This is the normal process of diversification that any trillion-dollar creditor would take, just in case the Federal Reserve's definition of an "extended period" for monetary easing turns out to be even more extended than we already assume it will be. We will only be too happy to cease this flight from dollar assets when we observe your determination to tighten money; surely this must be why President Obama selected you over the distinguished White House economic adviser, Lawrence Summers.
Once again, on behalf of all of the Chinese people, our heartiest congratulations.
Sincerely,
Ministry of Finance
Beijing
AI
