Russia, China, India Unveil New Gold Trading Network

Deputy Governors of the People’s Bank of China and Bank of Russia sign Memorandum on Gold Trading, Sochi, September 2017. Photo: Bank of Russia

 

One of the most notable events in Russia’s precious metals market calendar is the annual “Russian Bullion Market” conference. Formerly known as the Russian Bullion Awards, this conference, now in its 10th year, took place this year on Friday 24 November in Moscow. Among the speakers lined up, the most notable inclusion was probably Sergey Shvetsov, First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s central bank, the Bank of Russia.

In his speech, Shvetsov provided an update on an important development involving the Russian central bank in the worldwide gold market, and gave further insight into the continued importance of physical gold to the long term economic and strategic interests of the Russian Federation.

Firstly, in his speech Shvetsov confirmed that the BRICS group of countries are now in discussions to establish their own gold trading system. As a reminder, the 5 BRICS countries comprise the Russian Federation, China, India, South Africa and Brazil.

Cracks in Dollar Are Getting Larger

 

Many Daily Reckoning readers are familiar with the original petrodollar deal the U.S made with Saudi Arabia.

It was set up by Henry Kissinger and Saudi princes in 1974 to prop up the U.S. dollar. At the time, confidence in the dollar was on shaky ground because President Nixon had ended gold convertibility of dollars in 1971.

Saudi Arabia was receiving dollars for their oil shipments, but they could no longer convert the dollars to gold at a guaranteed price directly with the U.S. Treasury. The Saudis were secretly dumping dollars and buying gold on the London market. This was putting pressure on the bullion banks receiving the dollar.

America’s Weapons: “The Dollar and the Drone”

 

It was said that “the guinea and the gallows” were the true instruments of British imperial power.

The guinea represented the coined wealth of Great Britain.

The gallows represented its… constabulary zeal in policing restless natives.

This is the 21st century of course… a time of enlightenment.

Today’s instruments of imperial power are no longer the guinea and the gallows.

No. Today’s instruments of imperial power are “the dollar and the drone.”

China’s Plan to Subvert the Global Dollar Standard

Regardless of how it all plays out, the U.S. Dollar hegemony is under threat. There is indeed a replacement system ready to go, with America out of the picture. There is an alternative to the Dollar. There is an alternative to SWIFT. There is an alternative to the IMF and the World Bank. America, for all its greatness, is not untouchable.

 

 

If nothing else, the Chinese have a sense of history and destiny. They have had a glorious past, stretching back millennia, and once controlled most of the Asian heartland in the days of Genghis and Kublai Khan. But even then, China was essentially inward-looking, protecting her own cultural values. Trade with Europeans in the centuries following Marco Polo’s visit was mostly at the behest of European travelers, not the Chinese. She exported her art and culture to visitors, and did not import European values.

This was a mistake, implicitly recognized by China’s current leadership. This time, China has embraced Western thinking and technology to further her own progress. The development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in recent years is the platform for China in partnership with Russia to embrace the Asian continent through peaceful trade, improving the lives of all the citizens of the many nations who are and will become members. The SCO promises a revolution in the wealth and living standards of over 40% of the world’s population, and associated benefits for its supplier-nations on the other continents.

Jim Willie: Petrodollar death by July

(TRUNEWS) Statistical analyst Jim Willie says the recent moves by the rising Eurasian Trade Zone have set the stage for a historic toppling of the Anglo-American petrodollar by July.

Willie’s statements were made during an exclusive interview with Rick Wiles of TRUNEWS  on Tuesday, while discussing the significance and meaning of a series of major geopolitical events over the past 3 months from China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

In the beginning of the interview, Willie said one of his veteran sources informed him that government analysts are predicting major economic turmoil to begin in the June/July timeframe. Willie noted that if he had to guess, the July 4^th holiday weekend would be the flashpoint for the unraveling of this crisis. Willie said it would be prudent for Americans to stop all investments; and begin hoarding cash, food, and water to weather this impending financial super storm.

China’s Gold Army

July 2000, soldiers from the 8th detachment panning alluvial gold in Xinjiang. In 30 years, the gold exploration unit has found many large-scale gold deposits, in total found more than 1800 tons of proven gold reserves.

 

Withdrawals from the vaults of the Shanghai Gold Exchange, which equal Chinese wholesale gold demand, in week 46 accounted for 49 tonnes. Year to date withdrawals have reached 2,362 tonnes.

As part of the wide analysis of the Chinese domestic gold market I would like to share that since the seventies there is a special army in China dedicated to gold. It’s called The Gold Armed Police – if you can read Chinese have a look at this Wikipedia page.

It’s no coincidence this army came into existence in 1979, eight year after the US left the gold standard and when China started opening up under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping. As, this was the moment the Chinese slowly started to reform their economy and made the first preparations in their gold market. They knew, among others, the global dollar standard wouldn’t last forever.

Power of Gold: China Establishes Its Largest Gold-Investment Fund

China is boosting its influence in global gold markets by establishing its largest gold-investment fund led by Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE), which is expected to raise about 100 billion yuan ($16.1 billion).

China has established its largest gold-investment fund in northwest China’s Xi’an City, the ancient starting point of the famous Silk Road, aiming to bolster Beijing’s role in global gold trade.

The initiative is a part of China’s ambitious New Silk Road project and about 60 countries have already invested in the “Silk Road Gold Fund.” While the new fund is aiming to invest in mining projects in the region, it is expected that central banks of the member states will increase their holdings in the precious metal.

China sets up “largest” gold fund for nations along Silk Road

BEIJING: China, the world’s biggest gold producer, has set up a gold sector fund involving countries along the ancient Silk Road which is expected to raise $16.1 billion.

The fund, led by Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE), is expected to raise an estimated 100 billion yuan ($16.1 billion) in three phases, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. It is said to be the “largest fund” set up by China.