Abstract

Direct Measurement and Indirect Verification on the Intensity of China�s Capital Controls

Author(s): ZENG Shao-Long

The RMB is included in the SDR basket on Oct. 2016, China's capital account liberalization will face new challenges, and the impact of international short-term capital flows on China's financial security will exceed our understanding. Therefore, it is necessary to measure the intensity of China’s capital control objectively. This paper summarizes the existing literature on capital control intensity, and develops the method of measurement. Using the new method to measure the intensity of China’s capital controls. The results show that the intensity of China’s capital control measured in different methods is basically consistent. The intensity of China's capital controls tends to be weakened in general, and the relaxation of capital inflow control precedes capital outflow control. The intensity changes of China's capital control would be reflected on the volatility in international capital flows inevitably. Especially the short-term international capital flows have a higher correlation with the adjustment of the intensity of capital control.