Exchange Rate Regime Verifi cation: Has China Actually Moved from a Dollar Peg to a Basket Peg? Peg?

An attempt is made to verify the exchange rate regime that China has been following since 21 July 2005 when a policy shift was implemented, presumably taking China from a dollar peg to a basket peg. The results show that while a regime of simple and strict dollar peg has indeed been abandoned, the evidence does not support the proposition that the current exchange rate regime is a basket peg. It is suggested, based on the empirical results, that the current Chinese regime is some sort of a discretionary crawling peg against the U.S. dollar. It is argued that this regime is consistent with the Chinese objectives of maintaining a competitive advantage while avoiding a trade war with the U.S.