Is a New Asian Monetary Fund Emerging?

Abstract

The plan initiated by Japan for forming an Asian Monetary Fund in a mode of ASEAN+3 countries after Asian financial crisis in 1997 was not realised due to opposition from USA, IMF and China and the plan was revamped through CMI multilateral currency swap and pacific nation’s joining with US Dollar hegemony but at present it is confronting Chinese supremacy over the region. Thus, in this paper the author thought of forming a new Asian bloc consisting of SAARC, ASEAN, GCC, China, Japan and Korea for which a new framework of Asian Monetary Fund can be set up with a view to not only supplying additional liquidity in crisis period as well as for developmental finance but also can function for issuing a common currency of the new Asian bloc that is a currency basket which will be formed by currencies of China, Japan and Korea and the currencies of blocs viz SAARC, ASEAN and GCC where unit of account of currency will be measured by gold or silver and the exchange of currency unit of Asia is primarily fixed with Chinese Yuan. The exchange rates of all currencies in the basket will be calculated daily through floating exchange rate mechanism in Asian bloc and common currency will also be floated in SDR basket if CUA is included in SDR basket. The exchange rates will be maintained by Asian Monetary Fund through target zone of ±2.5% fluctuation. The plan also requires monetary and trade integration as well as political integration with the implementation of Asian stock exchange institute, Asian Parliament, Asian Security council, Asian Central Bank and Asian Clearing Union respectively. The common barriers like Sino-Japan rivalry, US dollar hegemony, non-cooperation from IMF, premature OCA criteria and low capital market internationalisation may delay the process of Asian Economic Integration towards formation of a new Asian Monetary Fund.