The offshore yuan weakened to around 6.88 per dollar, ending a three-day winning streak as the greenback gained strength amid mounting uncertainties over a possible easing of the Middle East conflict. The US dollar rose as investors pared back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts, amid concerns that a surge in oil prices driven by the conflict could stoke rising inflation.
During his speech, Trump said the war in Iran was “very close” to completion and likely to meet its objectives in the coming weeks, while warning that military operations could intensify. Meanwhile, the PBoC drained CNY 890 billion through short-term operations and absorbed another CNY 250 billion via longer-term tools, reversing months of liquidity support after the economy’s deepest slowdown since reopening from Covid lockdowns in 2022. With growth rebounding and oil prices elevated by the Iran war, the central bank appears focused on curbing inflation while gradually steering China out of record deflation.
