Why Are China And Russia Stockpiling Gold?

Why Are China and Russia Buying So Much Gold? Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all routine

A larger global currency shift is underway…

And it may be happening much more quickly than anyone has realized.

Things are definitely in motion. Call it a game of musical chairs, or an exercise in rearranging chairs on the Titanic, or just that a tilting balance of power. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking this is all routine.

The People’s Bank of China has added about 100 tons of gold to its reserves since December. Russia has bought 106 tons of the precious metal this year.

“They can read the writing on the wall,” Euro Pacific Capital CEO Peter Schiff told FOX Business, adding that the two countries are “preparing for the world where the dollar is no longer the reserve currency.”

China’s gold reserves now stand at more than 1,950 tons, Bloomberg says. Russia has more than 2,200 tons, and has the fifth-largest stockpile by country.

Beijing’s gold purchases, which amount to 100 tons since December, come as it has been less aggressively buying Treasurys amid the U.S-China trade war. In June, China fell behind Japan as the world’s largest holder of U.S. debt, a title it had held since May 2017.

Meanwhile, Russia has more than quadrupled its reserves over the past decade amid its promise to break its reliance on the U.S. dollar. Russia’s central bank has bought 106 tons so far this year, according to Bloomberg.

Trade war uncertainty and worries about the health of the global economy have helped propel gold prices to their highest level in six years. The precious metal is up almost 18 percent this year and last month hit $1,550 an ounce for the first time since April 2013.

If you are not watching the central banks, you could be making a big mistake. Central banks could be the catalyst that sends the price of gold surging.

The big question: which central banks are buying gold?

Here’s the thing: back in the 1970s, when the U.S. dollar was in favor, the major central banks never really sold their gold. They kept a lot of it and continue to hold it.

It was the small central banks that rushed to buy the U.S. dollar. Now it’s those same central banks looking to accumulate gold. They will need a lot of gold to diversify their reserves.

Two of the central banks that shouldn’t be ignored are China and Russia. They need a lot of gold.

China has been stepping into the gold market at an astonishing pace. Between December 2018 and September 2019, China’s central bank purchased 100 tons of the yellow metal. (Source: “China’s Gold-Buying Spree Tops 100 Tons During Trade War,” Bloomberg, October 6, 2019.)

The Chinese central bank went quiet for some time after 2009, but since 2015, it has been active. Also, its actions have been very loud and clear: it doesn’t care about where gold prices are; it just wants more gold.

Russia has been very active in the gold market as well. Its gold stash currently amounts to close to $110.0 billion. (Source: “Russia’s Massive Gold Stash Is Now Worth More Than $100Bln,” The Moscow Times, September 9, 2019.)

The country has been one of the most consistent gold buyers for a while. The Russian central bank has been increasing its gold holdings each month for several years.