HK exchange fund foreign assets dip in April

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority said Monday the city's foreign assets of the exchange fund shrank by 5.5 billion HK dollars (710 million U.S. dollars) in April.

The Monetary Base, comprising certificates of indebtedness, government issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the aggregate balance and Exchange Fund bills and bank notes issued, amounted to 1,087.2 billion HK dollars.

Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong stood at 135.1 billion HK dollars.

Foreign liabilities, representing fees payable to the Exchange Fund's external managers, amounted to 0.3 billion HK dollars.(1 U. S. dollar = 7.765 HK dollars)