HK official issues warning on hot money  

香港“财爷”料资金净流入港元会持续

香港特区财政司司长曾俊华28日预期，资金净流入港元的情况会持续一段时间，但难以预料最终会有多少资金净流入，和资金流向何时逆转，他呼吁市民小心资金流向突然逆转的风险。

Hong Kong (CNS) -- Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Tsang Chun-wah has said he anticipates that hot money is likely to continue flowing into Hong Kong for some time. He also warned of the risk posed by its sudden movement out of the local market.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has intervened in the currency market, as the local currency hit the upper limit of its peg to the U.S. dollar of 7.75, he wrote on his official blog on Sunday.

As for the worries that capital inflow may further raise roaring property prices, Tsang said there was no direct correlation between them. The bullish investor sentiment which has dominated the market, together with the third phase of quantitative easing announced by the U.S. Federal Reserve, resulted in higher property prices, even if no hot money moved in, he added.

Tsang said the bullish market sentiment was dangerous, and that measures implemented by the government would hopefully reduce the risk.

The capital inflow may continue, but it is difficult to predict how much more hot money will come and when it will move out, he said, adding that the global economic outlook now is even more uncertain than in 2008 and 2009.