Japan
Japan's Iwata on unwinding yen carry trades
Bank of Japan deputy governor Kazumasa Iwata said Wednesday 7 March recent financial market developments, including the unwinding of yen carry trades, were "technical position adjustments" by investors who have been "complacent" about asset price…
Japan to tap business chiefs for BOJ board- report
Japan's government will appoint a vice president of the country's largest trading company and a shipping company executive to the Bank of Japan's monetary policy board, the Nikkei business daily said Wednesday 7 March.
BOJ deputy Muto seen as favourite for governor
Many economists think that deputy Bank of Japan governor Toshiro Muto is the leading candidate to be the next Japanese central bank governor, a Jiji Press survey showed Friday 2 March.
Japan MoF's Watanabe is watching FX markets
Japan's finance ministry is observing developments in foreign exchange markets very closely, but this is business as usual, Hiroshi Watanabe, vice minister of finance for international affairs, told MNI.
China reforms would cut volatility says Paulson
US treasury secretary Henry Paulson said Tuesday 6 March that the global economy is as strong as he's ever seen and that reforms in China would help reduce market volatility.
Why Germany's economy will outshine Japan
According to this article by Stephen Roach, published on Wednesday 28 February by MoneyWeek, the German economy is very much on the mend after failing to fall into a Japanese-like quagmire.
BOJ says market should be ready for global flows
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told a forum on the money market Thursday 1 March that the Japanese money market should make necessary adjustments to be able to deal with growing global capital flows.
IMF's Rato on the Japanese economy
In a speech given on 26 February Rodrigo de Rato of the IMF said warned policymakers and investors about increasing growth in yen carry trades and urged Japan to make clear that deflationary pressures are being rooted out.
Mizuno says BOJ needs to keep raising rates
The Bank of Japan needs to keep raising interest rates, board member Atsushi Mizuno said in a speech Wednesday 28 February, a week after he and other policy board members voted to increase interest rates for the second time in six years.
BoJ says forward-looking policy, data can coexist
Minutes from the Bank of Japan's policy board meeting of Jan 17-18 released Monday 26 February showed members agreed that the central bank does not change interest rates based on a schedule set in advance and that it can maintain its forward-looking…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, February 2007
The Bank of Japan published the English version of its February 2007 monthly report on Friday 23 February. In the report the BOJ left its assessment of the economy unchanged.
Japan's Ota warns BoJ about tightening
Japanese economic and fiscal policy minister Hiroko Ota on Friday 23 February warned the Bank of Japan against further credit tightening.
IMF's Lipsky upbeat on eurozone outlook
In an interview with Reuters published Thursday 22 February, IMF first deputy managing director, John Lipsky, said the world economy will slow slightly this year from 2006.
BoJ's Fukui expects gradual rate hikes
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui told lawmakers Friday 23 February that he is "open" to options of further rate hikes.
Bank of Japan to keep 'accommodative' policy
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Wednesday 21 February it will maintain its "accommodative" monetary policy for some time, after voting to raise interest rates.
Ex BoJ's Fujiwara says rate rise needed
The Bank of Japan should raise interest rates before the current rock-bottom rates trigger an asset bubble in the economy, a former BOJ deputy governor said on Monday 19 February in an interview with Reuters.
Omi says BoJ should support growth
Japanese finance minister Koji Omi told parliament on Tuesday 20 February that the Bank of Japan's monetary policy should support economic growth, as it prepares to start a two- day meeting to decide interest rates.
Bank of Japan faces hard decision on interest rate
According to this article from MarketWatch, published Tuesday 20 February, the Bank of Japan will have a hard decision to make on interest rates at the conclusion of its policy meeting Wednesday.
Officials call on BOJ to consider govt views
Japanese cabinet ministers on Thursday 15 February called on the Bank of Japan to consider the government's view when deciding whether to raise interest rates at a policy meeting next week.
BoJ's Fukui says risks to sustained growth remain
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui said Wednesday 14 February he remains cautious about the outlook for sustained growth of the Japanese economy because it is still exposed to various risks.
BoC sees room to improve central bank committees
This article from Reuters, published Monday 12 February, looks at the recent paper "Monetary Policy Committees in Action: Is There Room for Improvement?" noting that central banks have shifted away from the "dictatorial" governor as decision maker, in…
Trichet warns markets on carry trades risk
European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet warned markets this weekend at the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting that one-way bets in currency markets posed risks.
BOJ in no hurry to raise rates says Haru
The Bank of Japan is in no hurry to raise short-term interest rates in the absence of an immediate inflation risk, BOJ board member Hidehiko Haru said in a speech Thursday 8 February.
BOK chief says reserves may go to overseas stocks
South Korea is considering investing part of its foreign reserves in overseas blue-chip stocks in an attempt to increase investment returns, Yonhap news agency cited the Bank of Korea chief as saying Thursday 8 February.