A clerk counts yuan bank notes and US dollar bills at a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Huaibei, East China's Anhui province. [Photo/IC]
China's foreign exchange reserves increased for the fifth consecutive month in December, reaching a new decade-high, while the country's official gold reserves rose for the 14th straight month, official data showed.
As of the end of December, the country's foreign exchange reserves totaled $3.3579 trillion, up 0.34 percent or $11.5 billion from the previous month, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said on Wednesday.
This level of reserves marked the highest since November 2015, when they stood at $3.44 trillion, according to official data compiled by market tracker Wind Info.
SAFE noted that the increase in the country's foreign exchange reserves last month occurred amid a declining US dollar index and mixed global financial markets, with China's improving economic fundamentals conducive to keeping foreign exchange reserves generally stable.
Meanwhile, China's official gold reserves came in at 74.15 million ounces at the end of December, up from 74.12 million ounces a month earlier, marking its 14th consecutive month of growth, according to SAFE.
