BEIJING, Nov 24 (Reuters) - China will keep the yuan's exchange rate basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said on Tuesday.
Zhang's words were a restatement of China's long-standing currency policy.
But the same phrasing was conspicuously absent from the central bank's recent third-quarter monetary policy report, which fanned speculation of a possible shift in China's policy of keeping the yuan pegged tight to the dollar.
Zhang was speaking at a briefing about next Monday's regular China-European Union summit. (Reporting by Chris Buckley; Writing by Alan Wheatley; Editing by Ken Wills) ((alan.wheatley@thomsonreuters.com; +86 10 6627 1235; alan.wheatley.reuters.com@reuters.net)) ((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))