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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (January 31, 2001) analytical data on the Hong Kong SAR's foreign currency reserves and foreign currency liquidity at the end of December 2000 (Annex which is on the HKMA website http://www.hkma.gov.hk). These data are published monthly in the Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard.

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At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of January, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:

January 8     SDDS International Reserves (Hong Kong's Latest 

(Issued)      Foreign Currency Reserve Assets Figures)



January 15    SDDS Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank 

(Issued)      (Exchange Fund Balance Sheet Data)



January 22    Exchange Fund Abridged Balance Sheet and 

(Issued)      Currency Board Account



January 31    SDDS Template on International Reserves and 

              Foreign Currency Liquidity

For further enquiries, please contact:

Caitlin Wong, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687 or

Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

End/Wednesday, January 31, 2001

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