TNAG-2466-FCO40-3590-Economic-situation-in-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 44

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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20.

Intervention is subject to resource constraints.

On the stronger side of 7.80, the resources required

are Hong Kong dollar balances.

To the extent that HSBC

is able to make available Hong Kong dollar balances to

the Exchange Fund, there has been no real constraint.

But the point may be reached at which the distortion

this causes to HSBC's balance sheet may become a constraint.

21.

The constraint is potentially more serious

when there is a need to intervene on the weaker side

of 7.80 by selling US dollars. The immediately available

foreign currency resources of the Exchange Fund which

are available for intervention are limited, though more

can be mobilised over a relatively short period of time.

22.

Turning to the less than short term adjustments

under the linked exchange rate system, the experience

has also not been entirely consistent with theory. The

transmission mechanism whereby pressure generated by

a shift out of or into the Hong Kong dollar is transmitted

into adjustments in interest rates is not entirely smooth.

For example, a switch out of Hong Kong dollars does not

necessarily lead to a reduction in the availability of

Hong Kong dollars in the interbank market and interest

rates. As illustrated in Annex IV, such availability

/is

G.F. 316

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