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BEIJING, Oct 14 (Reuters) - China's foreign exchange reserves, the world's largest, rose by $141.0 billion in the third quarter to $2.27 trillion, the People's Bank of China said on Wednesday.
Economists had expected a total of $2.250 trillion. [ID:nPEK135926]
The increase compared with a gain of $177.9 billion in the second quarter, the central bank said on its website, www.pbc.gov.cn. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Foreign exchange reserves (in billions of dollars, period ending):
Sep09 Jun09 Mar09 Dec08 Sep08 Jun08 Mar08 2,272.6 2,131.6 1,953.7 1,946.0 1,905.6 1,808.8 1,682.2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In all of 2008, China's reserves rose by $417.8 billion, following increases of $461.9 billion in 2007, $247.3 billion in 2006 and $209 billion in 2005.
China's reserves have ballooned as the central bank, in order to hold down the yuan, has bought most of the dollars generated by a large trade surplus, foreign direct investment and periodic inflows of speculative capital. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change in monthly forex reserves (in billions of dollars)
Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2009 ~ ~ ~ 61.8 36.2 43.0 42.1 80.6 55.1 41.7 -1.4 -32.6 2008 61.3 5.0 -25.9 21.4 39.0 36.3 11.9 40.3 74.5 35.0 57.3 61.6 2007 31.3 42.0 21.3 25.0 23.4 52.6 40.0 46.1 44.5 44.7 52.7 38.3 2006 27.6 29.1 21.7 15.9 17.5 13.4 16.1 30.0 20.0 21.4 8.5 26.3 2005 24.6 9.3 15.9 15.8 20.5 21.8 20.0 20.2 11.6 16.5 19.0 13.7 2004 36.1 31.4 27.9 18.4 13.2 12.3 12.0 9.6 9.2 13.2 10.9 12.5 2003 -17.1 19.4 17.1 19.1 8.2 1.0 6.4 13.8 10.3 7.7 3.8 18.1 2002 11.8 9.1 6.9 5.5 6.6 3.8 4.3 4.6 6.2 4.1 6.1 5.2 2001 3.9 5.3 7.3 5.7 5.6 3.7 1.8 1.8 1.3 1.1 6.2 3.0 2000 1.7 2.6 1.3 0.9 0.6 0.03 0.5 1.2 0.03 0.3 0.5 1.4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (Reporting by Simon Rabinovitch; editing by Ken Wills)