The introduction of China’s “personal pension” system may have an impact on the real exchange rates under the conditions of an open economy. Real exchange rates measure the relative value of goods and services between two countries, taking into account inflation.
One potential impact is that the personal pension system could lead to an increase in domestic savings in China. This would increase the supply of loanable funds, shifting the supply curve for loanable funds to the right. As a result, interest rates would decrease, making domestic investment more attractive and increasing aggregate demand. This shift in demand could lead to an appreciation of China’s currency, as shown in the following graph:

In this graph, S_LF represents the supply of loanable funds and D_LF represents the demand for loanable funds. The intersection point represents the equilibrium interest rate ® and quantity of loanable funds (L). The vertical axis represents real exchange rates (e) while the horizontal axis represents net capital outflow (NCO).
An increase in savings leads to a rightward shift in S_LF from S_LF1 to S_LF2, reducing interest rates from r1 to r2. The reduction in interest rates leads to a leftward shift of NCO from NCO1 to NCO2. At this new equilibrium point, both e and L decrease.
Another potential impact is that if there is a lack of confidence in China’s pension system or concerns over government mismanagement, it could lead to capital flight out of China. This would reduce the supply of loanable funds available for domestic investment, shifting the supply curve for loanable funds to the left. As a result, interest rates would increase, making domestic investment less attractive and decreasing aggregate demand. This shift in demand could lead to a depreciation of China’s currency, as shown in the following graph:

In this graph, S_LF represents the supply of loanable funds and D_LF represents the demand for loanable funds. The intersection point represents the equilibrium interest rate ® and quantity of loanable funds (L). The vertical axis represents real exchange rates (e) while the horizontal axis represents net capital outflow (NCO).
A decrease in savings leads to a leftward shift in S_LF from S_LF1 to S_LF2, increasing interest rates from r1 to r2. The increase in interest rates leads to a rightward shift of NCO from NCO1 to NCO2. At this new equilibrium point, both e and L increase.
Overall, the impact of China’s “personal pension” system on real exchange rates will depend on various factors such as the level of confidence in the system, government policies regarding domestic investment, and international economic conditions.




