The Asian Currency Unit (ACU): exploring alternative currency weights

摘要

While most observers concur that the time is not ripe for Asia to consider a common currency, there has been some discussion about the possible creation of an Asian Currency Unit (ACU). This paper examines the specific issue of the ACU which, in a general sense, is a weighted average of regional currencies la the European Currency Unit (ECU) which was created in March 1979 under the European Monetary System (EMS). The paper critically examines the rationale for the ACU proposal and offers an initial attempt at computing optimal currency composition of the ACU. The optimal basket weights computed are aimed at ensuring a regional currency basket that has minimal variance. Hence it will deliver stability in intra-regional exchange rates for alternative configurations of currency baskets in the Asian and Pacific region.